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GIDEON*S 
BAND 




in??^?m^?^r^{^^w^ff^^l^^^ 



GIDEON'S BAND 



An Argument to 
show that 

Divisions on Religion 
Are Delusions 

— BY— 
THALES SHORT 



Published by the Author 
Guilford, Kansas 



Copyright 1914 by Thales Short 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

Preface ^ 

Delusion ^ 

Sermon on the Cross g 

Gideon and Victoria . J^ 

Visit of Philander |^ 

Worshiping in a Cave ***** i5 

"The Kingdom of Christ Is Within" ..... lb 

Evangelship of Victoria 17 

"How Sandy Foundations" ^J> 

"The High Degree" ^^ 

The Voyage • %j 

Love on the Old Tulano ^4 

Formation of Isms ^^ 

Divisions Explained ^^ 

Orlando and Helen ^^ 

.Tames Voss and Edith f^ 

The Mighty Electric Hat ^^ 

Ike's Visions ^^ 

"Speed of the Mind" f4 

"What Care If or the Votes?" 47 

Sermon of Gideon • • ^J 

Edith Voss and Style ^. 

"If We Only Knew the Things" bl 

"The Aching Void" »f 

Tonguesilitis ^^ 

"'Twas by Faith Old Gideon" o7 

"Faith Is Reality" ^« 

Ambition , ^^ 

"O Where Is My Ma Tonight?" 69 

"Storage Battery" ^ ^ . , ♦ • - - - l^ 

"Says Paul, 'I'll Eat No Meat at All' " . . . . 77 

The Mighty Electric Hat Sold ^« 

Home of a Pretty Girl . . . ^« 

"That, which Having, We Possess All |^ 

Do Divisions Exist? ^^ 

Is Union Practical? °4 

Twelve Reasons for Union • g^ 

Marks of a True Member »^ 

Marks That Are Not Reliable »« 

Tender-Hearted Members ^^ 

"Restoration of 1809" ^^ 

Should Harps Be Used? * qo 

Earlton ^Xn 

How to Tell a Truth tno 

Why Doesn't God Kill the Devil? 102 

Sermon on Constancy j04 

"Pilgrims for a Purer Shrine" 10« 



GIDEON'S BAND 







GIDEON'S BAND 

Preface 

"To this end was I born and for this cause came 1 
into this world, that I should bear witness to the truth." 

Why should He bear witness to the truth? Because 
an important truth was hidden by a certain delusion 
in the Jewish church and in all the material religions of 
this world. 

As followers of Christ we should bear witness to that 
same certain truth. 

There are religious delusions now in the world. It is 
our duty to explain them. To let our light shine. "To 
give a reason for the hope that is within us and earnestly 
contend for the faith which was once delivered to the 
saints." 

We hold that this should be done, not on account of 
any superior excellence that we may possess above our 
fellows, except that which may come to us by deep study 
for many years and that state of the mind which is 
favorable to spiritual impressions. 

No book known to us has advocated a Spiritual only 
religion and proven that material religion crucified Christ. 
And that material religion has made infidels and burnt 
many at the stake. And that it is a Delusion that has 
caused all the denominations in this world. 

"Gideon's Band" is written for the following purposes: 
To illustrate how divisions are caused, and to give the 
cure therefore. 

Cause. 

The Mighty Delusion that the church is composed 
partly of matter and partly of spirit — what per cent of 
matter no one seems to know. 

Cure 

This Delusion is cured by its antidote, the Truth, m 

What Is Truth? 

The testimony of Christ. 

"I came to bear witness to the Truth," said he. 

His Testimony. 

On the witness stand before Pilate, he said: "My 
kingdom is not of this world. Were it of this world, then 
would My servants fight for Me." 

Were religion an attribute of matter it would belong 



GIDiEON^S BAND 

to all animals below man and to the vegetable and mineral 
kingdoms. 

Religion is not an attribute of the flesh. It does not 
belong to an infant or man that can't distinguish between 
right and wrong. 

Hence it belongs only to the spirit of man. 

His Kingdom. 

No one can belong to his kingdom but the regenerated. 

Laws that govern converted persons are very differ- 
ent from laws that govern sinners. 

In other kingdoms and churches where the overt acts 
of crime are committed the body is punished and not the 
heart, from which all evil cometh. 

In Christ's 0. B. C. the bad motives, designs and in- 
tents of the heart are removed before they produce an 
overt act of crime. 

Instead of killing a man possessed with a devil, as our 
forefathers did, the devil is cast out. 

Our forefathers eot the idea of killing witches from 
the political church of the Jew^s. 

A. C. vs. T. C. 

It is also of vital importance to distinguish between 
modern state-religions and the religion of the New Testa- 
ment. 

The Great Delusion of all infidels is this: They 
have NOT distinguished between the T. C. and the A. C. — 
the religions of the world and the religion of Christ. 

Why can they not distinguish? 

Because they have not the spirit of truth — the-Glory- 
Thou- gavest- me- I-have-given-them-that-tihey-may-be-,one. 
The Urum that removes the flaming passions or sv/ord 
that turned every wav, so man may partake of the tree of 
life. 

Union. 

Before v\'e can have union all mysteries must be 
taken out of the creeds. Also all things wiiich have no 
real existence in the church as shadows that are false and 
traditions not approved by inspiration. 

Ever Keeping in mind that the O. B. C. is a spirit 
body and however much the bodies of its members maydif- 
fer, their spirits must hold to a spirit-union. 

Some day the tower o'l Babel will fall and there 
will he erected a spiritual tov/er above the clouds Old 



GIDEON^S BAND 

Jacob's ladder will be there. Nations will no more train 
millions of Christians to fight against each other. It 
will be known that hatred and wars poison the secretions 
of the body, corrupt and dissipate the people. 

Then a religion of peace, grace and truth will be 
established because they will have nothing to lose but 
Delusions and they will have a world to gain, the infidel 
and heathen world. 

Explanations. 

The word "Division" as herein applied to Christians 
does not signify that they are divided in reality, but by 
a delusion. 

Some member? are u the cloud land of Metaphysics 
studying sectology. 

The word "union" signifies to remove that delusion 
so they may see that they are already united. 

In a fog an army has been known to fight against it- 
self. Stonewall Jackson was killed by one of his own men. 

Abbreviations. 

A. C. — Apostolic church. 

T. C. — Terrestrial church, the members of which are 
not guided by the spirit which illuminates the word, but 
by a majority vote. They hold that the opinions of synods 
in regard to the mysteries and material things are part of 
the church. 

0. B. C. — One body church. It signifies either the 
complete body of Christ in the world but not of the world, 
or one or more hearts baptized with the Holy Ghost, 
worshiping at the same place as the 0. B. C. of Gideon- 
ville. 

One drop of water or a sea is called water. There are 
impurities in water, but not of the water. The same 
may be said of the 0. B. C. 

Sects. 

Sects are founded on creeds. Creeds are founded on 
two things: 

(1). Opinions of Synods in regard to the Mysteries of 
God. 

(2). Material things — things used for convenience or 
comfort in the worship, as chairs, meeting houses, etc. 
Also things used as instruments for worshiping, as mem- 
bers of the body of man, tuning forks and hymn books. 



GIDEON'S BAND 
Opiiucns and Material Things. 

°"(2f Ma "dal- things should be considered as no part 
of the church. material things may be 

?heX.vin livide and ^ors^^^'fert^t'l^rc^^rc^ is 

But suppose we aie ^^J^^^^^f ^^ gat delusion and 

, ^a??abirto"u?d:?ftan?lh"at\%VM? body^cannot be divided. 

Infidel Answered. 
Then we are able to answer the infidels who claim that 
^^^ SVe Sit't?e^riefu4'"^man because he has not 
our brand of religion. 

Is a Creed Evil Per Se? 
Every Christian has his creed, but it may be an 

''''''' ThaT is!' he has ^n opinion in regard to the mysteries 
and material things used in the worship Christians 

Hence, there are as many sects as there aie Christians 
hppause sects are founded on creeds. . . 

While sects and creeds are founded on opimons, the 
B. C. is founded on inspiration, upon the eternal veri- 
ties. One truth will fit another truth and form a solid 
foundation. 

What Evil Is in a Creed? 

(1) It consists in believing or teaching that the 
creed is the word of God and part of the 0. B. C, and even 
claiming, as is sometimes the case, that it came down 
from heaven like the statue of Diana. 

(2) Evil because they are made venerable by age, 
till they are considered as the word of God. 

But these creeds, differing very much, lead to con- 
fusions and divisions. 



GIDEON^S BAND 



Desecrations, 



For the benefit of succeeding generations, inspired 
words should be consecrated. That is, they should be 
separated from uninspired words. If they are mixed, 
succeeding generations will believe that none of them 
are inspired. 

Hence, on the front page of every book of creeds, 
should be written in big capital letters, these words: 
OPINIONS AS HEREIN GIVEN ON THE MYSTERIES 
AND MATERIAL THINGS ARE NO PART OF THE 
0, B. C. 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Delusion. 



**Well, good evening, Billy," said John Abraham to 
his nephew. '*It has been a long time since I saw you 
What have you been doing and where are you going?" 

*'I married," said Billy, ''since I last saw you and 
when the cruel war broke out, you know I had to go and 
fight for my church." 

Billy thoug-ht that there was only one brand of re- 
ligion and that his church or ism manufactured that 
brand. He carried the banner and marched in all the 
processions. A smart man, but like many others in his 
day and even in our day, on religion he^vas a poor deluded 
mortal. 

"But," said Uncle John, ''Christ is to conquer the world 
by the sword of Truth and Love. Love is better and 
mightier than force to preserve order and peace in a na- 
tion." 

"You have been reading the Old Testament. God 
permitted but did not approve of giving a writing of 
divorcement, war, slavery and kings. He allowed these 
things 'on account of the hardness of their hearts, but 
from the beginning it was not so.' " 

"But Billy, my boy, where are you going?" 

"Fm going home," said Billy. "My company camped 
not very far from here. Four of us went to a farm house 
to get some fresh meat. I got a piece of mutton, you can 
see, and had just started for camp. The moon was shin- 
ing brightly. I saw over my shoulder a black cat. 

"My mother always tells the truth and she has said 
many times, that when you see a black cat over your 
left shoulder, there will be twins in your family in a 
short period of time. To tell you the truth. Uncle, I 
want to go with you if you are going my way, but we must 
hurry, for I do greatly fear that there will be twins before 
I arrive." 

"Well," said Uncle John, "Fm in as much of a hurry 
as you, but for a different reason. 

"I was preaching in a cave and a friend sent me a 
letter to warn me of danger. Ten men swore that they 
saw ten persons on the back of the devil, flying over the 
town. They recognized five persons." 

The people were as a rule either witches or witch 
finders. When they wanted certain persons burned to 
ashes, all that was necessary was to swear that they were 
witches. 



GIDEON^S BAND 

"That very night/' said Uncle John, '*! left with my 
wife and son. They all crossed the line into Switzerland." 

When Bill arrived there were triplets in his family. 
He became alarmed. He vowed that he never w^ould look 
over his left shoulder again. He feared that the population 
of the world would increase till they v/ould fight over some- 
thing to eat instead of fighting, as they nov/ were, over 
the opinions of the synods, fighting over things which 
really have no existence in the O. B. C. or A. C. 

He went back and found his company on the battlefield 
taking care of the dead and wounded. He heard a man 
praying for his enemies and he saw him make a sign of the 
cross. He was dying. Bill examined his pockets and 
found a Bible. A ball had entered this Bible and passed 
thru the Old Testament and continued till it reached 
this sentence: "My kingdom is not of this world.'* A 
second ball had cut an artery. 

Bill died in the next battle, fighting for his church. 
His last words were these: "He that useth the sword shall 
perish by the sword." In a few days, detectives were 
trying to find Uncle John, but he was warned by his 
friends. 

John found his old members and they went into the 
mountains to worship. Here John and his wife were 
arrested for saying that Christ was the son of the Eternal 
God. When placed on trial he was instructed to say 
that Christ was the eternal son of God. You have exactly 
the right words in your sentence, but you must place the 
word ^eternaP just before the word ^son' or you will be 
burned alive." 

The scene of Calvary near Jerusalem w^a.i now trans- 
ferred to Switzerland. There they crucified Christ again 
and put Him to an open shame. The vail of the temple 
was rent in twain and her horrors revealed. Darkness 
was over the land. 

Here, in what has been called the home of the free, 
transpired a scene of faith most bright. Here Uncle John 
and his wife were stripped and whipped every morning and 
asked certain questions about creeds that no one knows 
anything about. Each one was nailed to a cross. Then 
they arrested their boy, a lad of twelve years, and told 
his father they would imprison him and raise him up in 
their faith. 

"But," John said, "he that will not forsake all and 
follow Jesus is not worthy of Him." 



GIDEON'S BAND 

Then a fire was made out of dry wood and placed close 
to his wife, so that she soon perished in the flame. This, 
it was thought, would destroy his constancy. 

Then a fire of green wood was made and placed near 
him so that the wind blew the blaze away from him, anc' 
there he roasted. 

A great preacher, as this world sees greatness, was 
there. He asked John if he wanted to be prayed for — 
God in his mercy might look down and change that stub- 
born, sinful heart, said he. 

John said: ''You had better pray for yourself. You 
are crucifying Christ." 

Speech on the Cross, 

"You have crucified Christ in all Christian countries 
on account of the very same delusion. 

''Here it is: The Jews believed the son of David was 
to be a great temporal prince. Hence, when Christ came 
to his own people they received him not. 'He was de- 
spised and rejected, a man of sorrow and we hid our eyes 
as it vv^ere, from him/ He was crucified because he in- 
troduced a spiritual church to take the place of the secu- 
lar church of Moses. 

"'I am crucified today because I believe in a spiritual 
church. Your charge against me is that I have been 
preaching without authority from the established church 
and that I've used the word 'eternal' in a wrong way. If 
you would worship in spirit and believe in a spiritual 
church as Christ did there would be no need of crucifying 
Christians, becaiJse spiritual worship can only be performed 
in one way and that is with the heart ." 

Just then two Zealites came up and said, "That dog- 
should have his tongue cut out." But the officers not 
being so cruel, gagged him and thus he gave up the ghost. 

Gideon and Victoria. 

Uncle John's son, instead of being placed in prison, 
was taken to France and placed with a family. But he 
came back to the Alps. Then a Quaker family took him 
and called him "Gideon" because he was so like the 
Gideon of old. Gideon made a vow that he would fight 
with the sword of the spirit the T. C. as long as the 
Almighty would give him life. 

Gideon went to school in a small town. He was 
dressed in Quaker style and used Quaker language. The 



GIDEON'S BAND 

boys made fun of him. The Joneses and Vosses all made 
fun of him. 

The Joneses and Vosses were always trying to out- 
shine each other in dress. The Joneses now came into 
possession of a large estate. Mrs. Jones, who was called 
^'the peacock^' by the Vosses, sent to Paris for silk dresses 
and wore a new dress very often and gave her old ones to 
the poor. She built a mansion and wore diamonds on her 
hat." 

The Vosses were very envious of her but dared not 
say anything. One of the Vosses had been to school and 
became a great artist, but she lived in the city and her 
home folks knew nothing of her ability. She came home 
on a visit and her folks told her all about the Joneses and 
how envious they were. She said, 'Til cut the pride of 
the Joneses. 

Miss Voss attended the church service and Mrs. Jones 
was there. Miss Voss got the outline of her face, dress 
and hat. Then she went home and painted a fine cartoon 
which was very ridiculous. It exaggerated her pride, 
dress and diamonds. It was hung in the school house. 
The Jones children recognized it as their mother's picture. 
They thought that they had no enemy unless it was Gideon. 
They could not think that it was Gideon, but they wanted 
to accuse someone. Finding that Gideon could draw, they 
accused him. The Vosses said they had heard Gideon say 
that there was a godess of fashion in Paris worshiped 
more than the true God and they supposed this was Gid- 
eon's goddess that he had painted for the school to wor- 
ship. 

The next day at dinner recess there was a fight. 
One of the Vosses accused Gideon of drawing the picture. 
Gideon denied the charge and accused him of an untruth. 
The oldest Voss knocked Gideon down. Then the Jones' 
and Vosses all fell over each other to get to him. Each 
one wanted to give him a kick or a black eye. Gideon was 
bloody, dirty and his nose was mashed. The boys were 
dragging him away from the school house so the 
teacher would not see him. 

The Morgan boys and their sister Victoria were just 
getting back from their dinner and saw them dragging him. 
Then began a fight in earnest between the Morgans and 
the Joneses. While the fight was going on, Victoria stood 
guard over the body of Gideon. The Vosses would not 
fight with the Morgans on account of old time's sake. 



10 

GIDEON'S BAND 

Last winter the Joneses and Morgans had several 
fights. A brick church had burned down, leaving a part 
of the walls. The Joneses wanted to play here and claimed 
the right to do so because their father once worshiped 
at this church. The Morgans owned the lot and fought 
over those crumbling walls. 

Grown people are doing the same thing. Old BabePs 
walls are crumbling now; her funeral dirge will be sung 
bye and bye. 

In this, their last fight, the Joneses were outVinded 
and said they'd had enough, so they all went to the creek 
to wash. Victoria got a pan and washed Gideon's face 
and told him in her childish simplicity and honesty that 
she loved him and wanted him to go to school in the 
country with her. Her brothers now came up and they 
took Gideon home. 

After relating their troubles to their parents, it was 
decided that they all should go to a nearby school in the 
country. 

In a few years Victoria, with her mother, went on a 
visit and remained in France till September. While she 
was gone she became acquainted with a young man, the 
son of a count, named Philander. 

Visit of Philander. 

In a short time Philander paid the Morgans a visit. 
Mr. Morgan, to entertain this heir to a fortune, invited 
Gideon and a few of his schoolmates to come over and have 
a big hunt. They brought their game to Mr. Morgan's 
and had a big dinner They all sat down to the table and 
Victoria passed around the eatables. She had grown more 
dignified, shy and was just blooming into the beauty of 
womanhood. And as she passed around the table with 
the poise of a dancing master and the beauty of Cleopatra, 
Gideon's eyes became fastened upon her. She had been 
dressed by a lady who understood the science of beauty; 
she knew how to develop or exaggerate into beauty any 
quality a woman might possess, not according to latest 
style necessarily, but in a way which brought out or made 
more beautiful her personality. 

When Victoria passed the beans, onions and meat to 
Gideon, he got some in his lap, some on the floor and man- 
aged to get some on his plate. His reason was now giving 
way. He dropped his spoon of beans. She saw his 



11 

GIDEON'S BAND 

embarrassment and went into tlte kitchen. But he kept 
his eyes on the kitchen door and as she came out he took 
another spoonful of beans. 

As she turned to the right of him, he put a spoonful of 
beans in his left ear; as she turned to the left of him, his 
head turned to the left and he put a spoonful of beans in 
his right ear. His eyes v/ere now full of tears from eat- 
ing onions. 

His earG and mouth were full of beans, beads of sweat 
were gathering on his forehead and tears dropping on the 
table. He looked almost like he did on the school grounds 
when he moved the heart of Victoria. Had he moved her 
heart this time. She, at least moved by sympathy for him, 
went into another room and a servant took her place. 

She had put on the current of amoritis mesmerism too 
strong. She almost paralyzed him. with the beauty of her 
femininity and affinity. She had also partly paralyzed 
Philander, but in a different way. His heart was affected. 
This effected his stomach so he couldn't eat. He watched 
her all the time, when she was coming towards him and 
when she was going from him. She caught him coming 
and going and he was gone. He watched her so much 
that he never saw Gideon and Gideon never saw him. 

All the boys left but Gideon and Philander. Gideon 
said he wouldn't leave till he saw the girl once more. 

Philander waited till he was tired but she never came 
out of her room. At last, giving up in despair, he went 
with Mr. Morgan to town. 

Peter Morgan (they called him 'Tete") wanted Gid- 
eon to help him fly his kite. They played for some time, 
even Victoria enjoying the fun. 

Then Gideon said with a sigh: ''It's getting late; I 
must say goodbye^" And as he went up the hill he 
hummed to himself, ''She's the same old girl." Just as 
Gideon was going over the hill he saw Mr. Morgan and 
Philander coming home. Gideon was now watching thru 
the bushes. As they drove in Victoria was still flying the 
kite. Philander tried to help her but she went into the 
house. 

Some of the boys in town (the Joneses) had told 
Philander that he v/ould have heavy opposition in trying 
to get that girl. Philander saw that something must be 
done and done in a very short time. But the girl would 
neither talk to him nor play with him, though he had tried 
all kinds of fascinating games. She was kind and polite, 
but she would not be left alone with him. 



12 

GIDEON'S BAND 

She avoided him without giving offense. By artful- 
ness she concealed her art. 

He continued for several days trying to interest her, 
but she was becoming so cold towards him that she would 
not even look at him. 

Raised to think that money and titles could accomplish 
anything, he decided that she was bashful, and she was. 

In his desperation he concluded to talk to her parents 
and go home. He made the excuse that business re- 
quired him at home and that nothing would give him so 
much joy as a visit from them. In about a month Mr. 
Morgan received a letter from Philander\s parents, in- 
viting him and family to visit them. 

The children started to school and Mr. Morgan and 
his wife went over. Mrs. Morgan and Philander's mother 
belonged to the old Zealites and were good friends in a 
short time. She told Mrs. Morgan of Philander's great 
love for Victoria and loaded her down with presents. 

In a short time after they returned home, Philander 
and his parents visited the Morgans. This time Mr. 
Morgan didn't invite the boys. He was afraid that Vic- 
toria would marry someone in the neighborhood. 

Mr. Morgan, after much consulting with the Castle- 
tons, Philander's folks, decided to put Victoria in a con- 
vent as soon as her school was out and let her stay there 
till she was eighteen years old. Then, her mind being 
more mature and refined, she might marry a count. 

One evening Gideon and Victoria were walking to- 
gether from school. She told him confidentially that 
when her term of school closed she was to be put in a con- 
vent. She said that she overheard her father and mother 
talking. Gideon wept. They parted with the understand- 
ing that they would study and pray over i;he matter and 
meet again next day. 

After talking they realized that they were of the 
same mind and heart. She told Gideon that she would 
go to the convent and ten days before she was eighteen 
years old she would allow herself to be rescued by Gideon. 
She went to the convent. 

The O. B. C. 

What became of Gideon ? 

His mother's maiden name was Goodman. She had 
a brother in Scotland and this brother had heard of the 
death of his sister and had been writing for Gideon to 
come and live with him. But Gideon couldn't leave Vic- 
toria. 



13 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Now Gideon determined to go to Scotland. There 
were persons who were persecuted who wanted to go 
with Gideon. They belonged to the 0. B. C., believing 
in the doctrine of Zwingli, who believed in the Bible alone, 
as interpreted by the true spirit. He was the first modern 
restorationist. Christ being the first, He restored to 
man his lost paradise. 

G. Voss, the leader of the 0. B. C. believed that the 
church was a spirit body. His favorite expression was, 
"Unite, brethren, yez have nawthin' to lose but yer idols, 
and yez haven't any. It's a delusion." 

Brother G. Voss stopped to see his cousin, J. Voss. 
He talked with J. Voss about the O. B. C. J. Voss, his 
wife and four sons joined the 0. B. C. The Vosses got 
Gideon to join. He labored with them in a field away 
from the public. 

They could betray their leader. They were sorely 
tempted but they could not be bought. They were taken 
one dark night and baptized. They then practiced on the 
grips, pass-words and secret ways of writing. 

After several women and men had joined, J. Voss 
wanted to go to Scotland and preach in the houses and 
caves of that country. He got eleven followers to go with 
him. They all reached Scotland and settled in the high- 
lands not far from Uncle Levi Goodman's. Gideon went 
to his uncle's to live. Each of the twelve considered him- 
self commissioned to tell the good nev/s. They preached 
by conversing. Gideon was instrumental in converting- 
Uncle Levi's two sons. The other disciples found four 
more. The six converts and the twelve found a cave in 
which they worshipped. 

Victoria was now nearly eighteen years old. Uncle 
Levi had one daughter named Pearl. Uncle Levi was rich 
and concluded to send his girl to the convent. 

She and Gideon were good friends. She had joined 
the 0. E. C. Gideon had told her the story of his love. 
She had told him that she would do all in her power for 
him. 

Gideon todk her to the convent. Before going in he 
wrote a note and handed it to her. This note could not be 
read by an outsider. She expected when she got ac- 
quainted with Victoria to whisper it to her. 



14 

GIDEON'S BAND 

The Note. 

VICTORIA — A covered wagon will be waiting for 
you a short distance from the convent gate on September 
10, and every day thereafter till you come. 

GIDEON. 

Gideon and Pearl entered w^hat appeared to be an 
oflfiGe room in the convent. Gideon told the manager that 
he wanted Pearl educated as a musician. And he wanted 
her to see the class and tell him that she was satisfied. 
Though Gideon was not allowed to enter, he saw Victoria 
thru the door and recognized her and she recognized him. 
He said to the manager: ^'You told me these girls were 
not over fifteen years old. There is a girl," pointing to 
Victoria, ''that looks older." "Yes," says he, "that girl 
is here by special request. She belongs to a count and he 
is having her voice trained to go on the stage. But I 
don^t think it needs training. Nature has done so much 
for her. She is a sweet singer." 

Gideon bade Pearl goodbye and said to himself as he 
started home: 

"With one glance I read a volume in her eye. She 
may be a sweet singer, accomplished and refined, but to 

me " and he hummed to himself: "She's the same old 

girl." 

Gideon having reached home, blew the horn three 
times. The last time longer, so that it fell like an echo 
dying away. This was a sign that someone was in trouble 
and that the members should meet. Gideon at the meet- 
ing called for volunteers to take a perilous journey. Sev- 
eral came forward and he selected Brother Voss and his 
wife. Gideon had warmed the heart of his uncle Levi 
by saving his life and other deed^. And when he told 
him the story of his love in his affectionate way, it 
"o'er came the ashen hue of age" and in the blush of youth 
he actually wept. He said he would give him all the 
money he wanted to bring that angel to Scotland. 

Brother Voss and his wife drove Uncle Levi's team 
to the convent. He then put a white cover over the 
wagon, as movers do. He hitched a short distance from 
the convent gate. 

One danc night Victoria slipped out and got into the 
wagon. It was too dark to travel fast. She put on a 
suit of men's clothing and put her clothing in the feather 
bed and had her beautiful hair cut off. Now the stars 
came out and they drove all night and next day without 
sleep. They struck camp after dark so no one could see 



15 
GIDEON'S BAND 

them and after a long tiresome journey they came to 
Uncle Levi's. 

Gideon and Victoria were married. 

Worshiping in a Cave 

Victoria joined the 0. B. C. They had public musicals 
on Tuesday. Thursday night a secret meeting was held 
and on Sunday night prayer meeting. The musicals 
would draw a crowed, with Victoria to sing solos. 

The prayer meetings would indicate who were seek- 
ing their spiritual welfare. From these they could select 
their followers. 

They decided to hold a meeting in a cave which, 
covered by trees, was in a deep recess in the mountains. 
They all went into the cave except the sentinels who were 
posted on a high place and one at the mouth of the cave 
to give the alarm. 

Brother Voss repeated from memory Hebrew II. 
telling what faith had done. Men who through faith had 
subdued kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions. Some to 
escape persecution w^andered in deserts, in mountains, in 
dens and in caves of the earth, of v/hom the world vv^as not 
worthy. He said faith and even the 0. B. C. are invisible 
and can exist without being recognized by the world. 

Christ taught and healed the sick three and a half 
years and the world, — yea, even His disciples, did not 
understand the nature of His kingdom. Material sects 
even today do not understand His church. If they did 
they would not strive against each other on carnal things 
which do not belong to the ch.iich. 

''Here we are in this cave with no Bible, hymn book, 
candle or harp. The 0. B. C. can worship in a dungeon. 
Though their hands and larynx are paralyzed, they wor- 
^zh'iip in the heart. Christ prayed on the mountain top 
alone, David in his bed chamber and Peter on the house 
top. 

''This cave is like heaven, w^hich 'needs no candle or 
light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth it light.' 

"What is Bible or saving faith? Is it the arraying 
of syllogisms to prove something? No; faith is the 
testimony of the new born heart or creature to the intel- 
lect or belief resulting from such testimony. Things hid- 
den from the wise are revealed to the babe. Why? Be- 
cause they believe with the heart. 



16 

GIDEON'S BAND 

Faith and the O. B. C. Like Electricity. 

"Wires, poles, dots and marks are no part of electricity, 
but are convenient, otherwise we would use wireless tel- 
egraphy. 

''Candles, harps, opinions, innovations, false types, 
are no part of the 0. B. C. Why kill persons over things 
that do not belong to the 0. B. C? Things which no 
one understands and which really do not exist?" 

After silent prayer Victoria stood up to sing. No 
one could see her or anything else, so there was nothing 
to attract the mind but the song. She sang the following: 

From Christ till now all history search 

You'll find one spiritual church. 

In caves the outcast of this earth 

Burnt by the pagans in great mirth. 

On Christ was placed a crown of thorns, 

And hailed as King with jeers and scorns. 

Vain hypocrites and empty shows. 

Rites, types, symbols, passing shadows; 

All light without, all dark within 

Ah! All without and none within 

Keep his spirit from shining in. 

The kingdom of Christ is within. 

Christ said: "I'll send the comforter; 
'Twill come in glory and great power. 
And though the world no more sees me, 
I'll sup with you and you with me." 
What though there be no bread or wine. 
Emblem, or any earthly sign, 
The Saviour comes and sups with me 
And sweet communion here have we. 
Though distance and sects may divide; 
The right to hold meetings denied — 
God's glorious light does then shine in; 
The kingdom of Christ is within. 

After singing, they baptized Victoria and the others 
in a clear pool just below the cave. They were standing 
on its mossy brink o'erhung by thick underbrush when 
the sentinel above extended his staff with a piece of white 
paper and rolled a stone down. They disbanded and left 
no evidence to show that they had worshiped. 

Then Brother Voss went about twenty-five miles to 
talk to a few of his followers who had collected at a 
cottage far away from the main road. He was arrested 



17 
GIDEON^S BAND 

while reading the Bible and put in a dark, damp room in- 
fested with rats and vermin, to await his sentence of 
death. He had worshiped contrary to the form of the 
established church. 

Christ, Socrates and all the holy martyrs were mar- 
tyrs because they spoke against a T. C. and believed in 
the O. B. C. Every nation and savage people have had 
and now have a T. C. And anyone speaking against this 
T. C. is an heretic. But there is only one God and His 
0. B. C. But when the woman on eagle wings shall re- 
turn from the wilderness then shall the funeral dirge of 
the T. C. be sung. 

Gideon now offered to take the place of Brother Voss 
till he could go and see his family before his death. A 
man whom, they claimed, w^as called by the lowly Nazarene 
said, "No; that heretic shall never see the mountains and 
lakes of Scotland.'' But killing Christians was making 
enemies against the established church, hence they ban- 
ished Brother Voss. 

Evangelship of Victoria. 

The Morgans and the Count heard that Victoria was 
captured and they offered a rev/ard for her rescue. Two 
of the Morgan boys said they would go. The third boy said 
he v/ould go along to see that Gideon was not killed. 
They reached the sea and entered a boat for Scotland. 
What a v/onderful scene to the boys as the boat glided 
gently on a tranquil sea! 

Uut calms presage a great storm and clouds are 
in the \¥est. The sun goes down in clouds. They hear 
the sound of wind. Inky blackness overspreads the sky, 
save ever and anon by the lightning's glare is seen a rocky 
island coming near. But instead of casting anchor and 
vvaiting till the fogs and clouds disappear, the reckless 
captain led by a phantom light, chased the Jack-with-the- 
lantern, a false and changing light, and wrecked his bark 
on an island shore. 

He signaled their distress. Then the captain said: 
•'Is there a church member here? We'll never reach land 
unless God in his mercy helps us.'' A peculiarly dressed 
man produced an idol. 

Tv/o persons informed the captain that there were 
members of the New Z. Says the captain, 'Tray for us." 
The younger man says: ^'Vm a chorister. I can't pray. 
We have our specialties — mine is to sing." "Then sing,'* 
says the captain." "But," says he, "I can't, without a tun- 



18 

GIDEON'S BAND 



ing fork and organ.'' The older man says, "I can't pray. 
I'm a deacon. My specialty is to pass the wine and hat." 
The captain says, "Do something religious or we perish." 
The deacon passed the hat and took up a collection. 

They were not far from the shore. Some of Gideon's 
band who were fishing nearby picked them up. 

Pete and the older boys, who were called the Morgan 
twins because so much alike, were taken to Uncle Levi's 
house. When they reached the house, Gideon was gone 
to take the place of Brother Voss. They found Victoria 
and were glad to see her. They told her their business. 
She said, "I've been married to Gideon and he would not 
let me go back." Said they, "We can kill him if he inter- 
feres, but we don't think he will." Said she, "We've been 
married in heart a long time and if you killed him, you'd 
kill me. Besides, I'm twenty-one and you couldn't take 
me by law. And I'm richer than Count Philander, for I 
have riches that will never fade, rust or vanish away." 

A man born of woman, though rich, is of few days 
and full of trouble. He cometh forth as the grass and is 
cut down. Yea, he fleeth as a shadow and continueth not. 

But man born of the spirit liveth for eternity. He 
dieth not and o'er him death hath no power. He cometh 
forth from the king's country bearing the banner of love, 
joy and peace to a world of hatred, misery and war. Yea, 
his heart beateth no more funeral marches to the grave, 
but triumphant marches beyond the grave. 

Pete said: "If it would prevent me from dreading 
death " 

"Death!" said she. "A disciple of the 0. B. C. will 
so live that the spirit has dominion over the body. No 
fear but a heaven beyond where God shall wipe away all 
tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death; 
neither sorrow nor crying. Neither shall there be any 
more pain, for the former things are passed away. 'Be- 
hold, I make all things new.' " 

Said Pete, "That's good news to me." 
Said the older boy, "Some non-members, even mem- 
bers of the T. C., fear death. They say we can't believe 
and by the Bible we'll go to torment forever.'^ 

Said Victoria, "That's a delusion of the T. C. The 
devils believe and tremble. There's no merit in historical 
faith. 

"Saving faith is founded on the testimony of the 
heart to the intellect that Jesus is the Christ, the son of 
God. 'How is this faith obtained?' He that doeth the 



19 
GIDEON'S BAND 

will of My Father shall know whether these things are 
true I've spoken.' Then, faith comes from a good heart; 
from doing the the will of God which is to worship in 
spirit and in truth. Thus worshiping, spiritual things be- 
come more real than material things. Though troubles 
seem to be mountain high, by faith they become a level 
plain. 

"Faith Takes Hold of the Promises. 

" 'Blessed are they that hath hunger, for they shall 
be filled.' 'Blessed are they that hath hunger after im- 
mortality, for they shall obtain everlasting life.' 'Because 
I live, ye shall live also.' '0, Death! Where is thy 
sting?'" 

A Future Dark Age Feared. 

"Such faith is sure to destroy the dread of death," 
said her brother, "but there is one more question I would 
like to ask. 

"We are led to believe from a close study of history 
that should any denomination have a majority sufficient 
to prevent education of those outside of their ism, corrupt 
men would join that sect and unite State and Church and 
bring on another dark age and burn at the stake. 

"If you can prove that the O. B. C. would not perse- 
cute, we will stay and investigate." 

Said she, "If I can't do that, I'll not ask you to join. 

'"No Creeds, No Persecutions. 

Christ. Christ gave us the spirit of truth to guide and 
said: 'He that doeth the v/ill of My Father shall know 
whether these things I've spoken to you are true.' This 
cuts out creeds, traditions and opinions. The O. B. C. real- 
ize that opinions have no existence in a church, hence 0. 
B. C. couldn't persecute anyone for holding certain opin- 
ions.. 

"Pattern of Christ. 

"The 0. B. C. takes Christ as its only leader, head 
and pattern. Christ loved his enemies. Breaking the law 
of ordinances and making a covenant of grace, He gave 
His body on the cross for all nations and all times. The 
sublimity of love now reached its consummation and 
marked itself and Christ divine. 

" Were the 0. B. C. to kill Christians it would follow 
that Christ killed Christians. Killing those of His own 
kingdom is impossible because a house divided against 
itself cannot stand. Hence the O. B. C. couldn't kill but 
will bring to pass exactly what was promised at the birth 
of Christ — peace and good will to all men. 



20 

GIDEON^S BAND 



"The 0. B. C. is not of this world, hence it cannot per- 
secute. 

*The Jews and even the apostles and the T. C. of today 
thought Christ's kingdom was of this world. But Christ 
made it plain when he said: 'My kingdom is not of this 
world; were it of this world then would My servants fight 
for Me." 

'The 0. B. C. does not punish the body for overt acts 
of crime as the T. C, but prevents crime by correcting 
the motives of the heart. 

''These, my dear brothers, " are some of the arguments 
to prove the proposition. What do you say?" 

Uncle Levi, rather feeble, sitting in the next room, 
heard all her evidence. Uncle Levi came in and handed 
her his hand and said: "It's enough; I am going to join 
the O. B. C." 

The brothers admitted she had given enough evidence. 

Victoria sang this song: 

How sandy foundations 
For isms and divisions; 
They are built on delusions 
And they are carnal, too. 

How firm a foundation 
For the church and her union; 
She's built on inspiration — 
She's only celestial. 

CHORUS: 

She's not of flesh and blood; 
She's not of flesh and blood; 
She's only celestial. 

Pete says: "Dear sister, you could make barrels of 
money on the stage." 

Said she: "I don't want to sing to please the world, 
but to save the world. Gideon wants me to go with him 
to help in singing." 

"I'm going with you," said Pete. 

Says she, "If you follow me, you must join the 0. B. 
L because I've left the weak and beggarly elements of 
this world. I'm striving for the white robe, and plaudits 
well done enter into the joys of the Lord." She then took 
them up to their rooms and bade them good night 



21 
GIDEON'S BAND 

One of the neighbors stopped in to see Uncle Levi. 
Victoria asked him if he would tell the elders and deacons 
to come over in the morning. 

Elders and Deacons — How Chosen 

Uncle Levi's oldest boy was the first elder and one of 
the Voss boys was the first deacon. They were chosen 
this way: Christ said "Your servant shall be your mas- 
ter.'' Elder Samuel Goodman had done more for the 
spiritual welfare of the 0. B. C. than any one else except 
Gideon. And as Gideon could not serve, Samuel became 
the first elder. 

Brother Voss 'had done more for the secular welfare 
of the bodies of the members. This consisted in furnish- 
ing fuel, lights, etc. 

The Big Supper 

The next morning after breakfast Pete said he was 
going to stay. The other boys offered to shake hands with 
Victoria and bid her goodbye, but she took hold of their 
coats and would not let them go. She said, "My brothers, 
you agreed to investigate the 0. B. C." 

Just then the Voss boys came up and wanted to 
know the trouble. Finding out, they waited till the first 
and second elders came up. They all together took the two 
Morgan boys and carried them over to their house, the 
third boy, Pete, following. They blew the horn which 
signified that the members should rally to their banner. 
The best marksmen with their visitors went on a big hunt. 
The others cut a long trench and built fires in it. About 
three o'clock the men came with their game. The fires had 
now burnt down to coals. Sticks were placed across the 
trench and meat hung on the sticks. They had a big sup- 
per. At night they gathered in the largest cottage. They 
could not w^orship visibly to the world, but they worshiped 
invisibly in the following manner. Victoria stood up and 
crossed her forearms so as to represent a cross lying on the 
ground. They all uttered an inaudible prayer, while she 
sang: 

Waiting, waiting, all together. 
For more of His wondrous power. 
In union like that first meeting 

When they with one accord 
Were all in one place waiting 

For the spirit of their Lord. 



22 

GIDEON'S BAND 

Then they conversed in such a way as to build up 
the faith, cutting out all opinions and debates as leading 
to delusions and liable to injure young converts. 
Victoria sang: 

The High Degree. 
This band is a fraternity, 
And few can take the high degree. 
The trial deeds are so severe 
None ever pass but the sincere. 
The hypocrite can never shine 
Or give the pass-word or the sign; 
Or the temptations ever stand 
United to this hero band. 

Like Gideon, from idols free, 
We're striving for that high degree. 
Ah! Step by step, ever higher 
We're climbing Jacob's great ladder. 
Ah! Leaving all this world behind. 
The spiritual world to find. 
To scale the heights of ecstasy 
Through infinite immensity. 

Ah! Leaving all this world behind, 
True pleasures we are sure to find. 
In union and in sweet accord 
We strike the harmonious chord. 
Some sing of the sweet bye and bye 
And for the future ever sigh. 
Let's for past mercies meekly bow 
And sing of the sweet now and now. 

The Morgan boys shook hands with the elders and said 
they were not going back to Switzerland, but would join 
the 0. B. C. 

Gideon came back next day and gave them a hearty 
welcome. Pete said he did not know before that Scot- 
land was a heaven. 

Said Gideon to himself as he went over to see the 
deacons: 

*' She's a great evangelist. She converted an old man. 
Three men came to capture her and kill me, but she cap- 
tured them and converted them and saved my life. Here 
are four evidences of her evangelship. Yes, she has the 
pass-word that never has or can be divulged to an outsider. 



23 
GIDEON'S BAND 

Yes, the graces of religion do give to the features 
a halo and charm that the art of man can never imitate. 

''And doubtless to others Victoria has changed, but 
to me,*' and he hummed to himself, "she's the same old 
girl." 

The Voyage. 

Many of the members v^anted to worship in the cave 
again. But there was too much danger. Some persons 
belonging to the established church had moved into their 
neighborhood and some Iscariot might claim that Gideon's 
band was v/orshiping. The State Church or soldiers could 
not tell, but to Gideon's band there was strong evidence. 
They were blessed. Christ had supped with them and 
they with Him. 

There v/as more worshiping, perhaps, done in the 
caves and cottages of Scotland than in all her cathedrals. 

Gideon, the leader of the 0. B. C, advised his band 
to sail for a free country. Some wealthy members agreed 
to furnish money for the voyage. One man had died and 
left his estate to the O. B. C. 

After a stormy introduction to the sea they had fair 
sailing success till they v/ere overshadov/ed by a fog. 

"Furl your sails," cried Gideon, "and anchor till the 
fog disappears.'^ 

They were near an island which they afterwards called 
Ismite isle, because it was settled by so many isms. On 
this isle one of their numbers was killed (Abe Goodman, 
as hereinafter described). 

After many trials they anchored their vessel and 
examined the country near a beautiful small river which 
they namxed Tulano. They bought a tract o:^ land on the 
east side of this river. On the east bank of the Tulano 
they built a town wkich they named "Gideonville." 

After building a church Gideon went on a preaching 
tour. Elder S. Goodman took his place. In a short time 
Rev. Loveism, D. D., LL. D., a Zealite evangelist came to 
see Elder Samuel Goodman. He wanted to organize a 
church, buy a lot and build a Zealite church. 

Says the elder, "We have a church of God here." . 

Says Rev. Loveism, "V/e have a better one." 

Says the elder, "There is only one church and that 
church is now in Gideonville, and do you think it would 
meet with the approval of God to have a divided church in 
Gideonville?" 



24 

GIDEON^S BAND 

Says Rev. Loveism, "We get a salary for organizing 
churches and we never consulted God." With a smile 
the grafter bade Elder Goodman goodbye. 

A Cloud 

At length a cloud of moral darkness came. A young 
man who had a patent way of saving souls prescribed by 
his alma mater. 

At first he couldn't get members, but by and by 
some families moved in who belonged to his church at 
other places. He built a church on the west side of the 
river. He starved one year and then went where he could 
get a salary. Then Rev. Culison was sent. Strange to 
say, he couldn't be starved; he would work. 

He was raised to believe the Zealites were doing 
God's service. He was as zealous for his creed as was 
Montezuma when he offered 10,000 human beings in sacri- 
fice. 

Rev. Culison had two daughters, Rosa Nell and Ruth, 
and two sons, David and Albert. 

Love on the Old Tulano. 

Gideon had a son named Daniel who still lived at Gid- 
eonville. In fact there was an attraction for him. He 
?iad become infatuated with a girl who had a remarkable 
attraction for him. She crossed the river below the dam 
and attended school at Gideonville. She was no less a 
person than Rev. Culison's daughter. There was no town 
like Gideonville for Daniel and compared to Rosa Nell, 
there were no eyes so blue nor smiles so sweet. 

Ike Goodman, son of Abe, who was killed on Ismite 
isle, was perhaps more in love with Ruth. Ruth had 
black hair and eyes and was warm hearted like her 
father. 

Daniel and Ike made a canoe and would take Rosa 
Nell and Ruth across the Tulano above the dam every even- 
ing after school. 

During vacation, Rosa Nell and Ruth went on a visit. 

Daniel paddled his canoe up the river one evening to 
set his trot line. Going up to where two wooded dells 
meet at the water's brink in which two fairies lived. 
The moon was gleaming from a love-lit sky. Daniel began 
singing: 

Ye fairies nearby 
Please whisper in reply, 
Soft and low. 
O'er the Tulano, 
Her name: sweetest Rosa Nell. 



25 
GIDEON'S BAND 



Bending low, he heard her name in the dell. He 
leaped to the shore, rushed up the glen. He stopped en- 
tranced in a magic spell. A wild flower Rosa loved so 
well. He sang: 

Sweet Rosa Nell, Sweet Rosa Nell; 

How oft along these banks weVe strayed 
A-chasing butterflies through the glade. 
Oh, I wish I were a butterfly! 
I would not sip from the flowers 
Fd sip the dew from Rosa Nell's lips. 
Oh, yes, I'd sip the nectar from swee-ee-tweet-est 
Rosa Nell's lips on the banks of the Old Tulano. 

Aroma of the ro-o-ose. 

The sweet-est bud that gro-o-ows 

Along the banks of that dear old stream. 

Take me back, take me back; 

Oh! Carry me back where Rosa Nell 

Dwells on the banks of the old Tulano, 

Rosa Nell had a brother named David, who went to 
school but didn't take much interest in books. School 
would have been too monotonous and he w^ould have left 
home and gone to sea or become a prodigal, but he was at- 
tached to his mother and becoming more attached to 
a young girl named Mary. She was the daughter of 
Elder Goodman, who was their teacher and pastor. Rev. 
Culison opposed his children going with those who were 
warped by a church which had no doctrine, but claimed 
to be spiritual only. Rev. Culison had taken his four 
children into the Zealite church when they were babies 
and now for them to marry a low down member of a doc- 
trineless church would corrupt them. It would be better 
for them to marry a heathen. Hence, he sent Rosa Nell 
and Ruth to their aunt's, who would give them to under- 
stand that no one outside the Zealite ism could be saved. 

The elders met to decide what to do with David. 
One thought that by sending him to a Zealite family he 
would marry a Zealite. After prostrating themselves in 
prayer for some time for divine directions, one old elder 
got up and said that to take him from his mother would 
ruin his morals. ^'I'm moved to say that if ever a boy 
needed a chaperon it would be during that slight shade of 
insanity that follows in the w^ake of sexitis — mesmerism. 



26 

GIDEON'S BAND 



commonly called courting," said he. 

There was one thing that the elder didn't know. The 
power Mary had over the mind of David. She kept him 
from evils that no power on earth could eradicate. 

After the elders had gone Rev. Culison went into his 
private office to pray for his son and to write a sermon. 
He opened the Bible and the first verse he saw he read: 
''What God has joined together, let not man put asunder." 
Then, from within came the inspiration. ''God has joined 
these together. I'll say no more." 

*So David and Mary married. She entered his whole 
life. In his weakness she was strength. In her sorrow 
he was her antidote. Each incomplete without the other. 
The first child was named Samuel. Every Sunday they 
would go to church and go home with Prof. Goodman. 

David always believed in his wife. Now he believed 
in God. He couldn't account for his wife's zeal in any 
other way. 

Rev. Culison was much troubled over his boy. He was 
afraid he would join the 0. B. C. He fasted and prayed 
and at night had a vision. 

A Vision — The Lost Found. 

Rev. Culison was in a mountainous country and some 
boy strangers from Europe were trying to find their 
parents' home. 

He thought he could lead them across the mountains. 
On coming to a high place the wind blew out his lantern 
(new doctrine). He lit the lantern by getting on lower 
ground (meekness) protected by a large stone (protecting 
influence of the 0. B. C.-. He had not proceeded far when 
his oil gave out (spirituality removed from the heart). 
He tried to go by the lightning's glare. Phantom lights 
were glittering and he could see that he was on the 
edge of a precipice. He looked down and saw the skeletons 
of men who had perished in some snow storm (coldness 
of religion from substituting rites and types for spiritual 
worship). 

To proceed or return was impossible. They cried 
for help. A man with a large lantern and much oil came to 
them and said, "If the blind lead the blind they will all 
fall in the ditch." 

"Follow Thou Me." 

He led them to a high hill. On each side of the path 
were deep dangerous chasms in the earth. One chasm had 



27 
GIDEON'S BAND 

no bottom. "This hill," said he, "is the mount of ambi- 
tion. Here many have perished." Coming to the top of 
the mountain they looked down over the precipice. They 
saw a large river of gas and sulphur. It appeared to 
be afire, a vast flame darting and rolling in waves and a 
mighty cloud issuing therefrom. It blinded the eyes 
(blindness or delusion caused by sin). Says an angel, 
"This is called the River of False Religious Zeal and it 
flows into the bottomless pit." 

Then they descended the mountain and came to the 
road which led them to a pass in the mountain. At last 
they saw a light in a cottage. 

The inmates v/ere waiting, praying for their return. 

Rev. Culison awoke and said: "IVe children away from 
home. It may be false party zeal has caused me to send 
them away." So he sent for Rosa Nell and Ruth to come 
home. 

He had a supper and invited some of his close neigh- 
bors; also Daniel and Ike. 

He told the boys that his eyes had been blinded and 
he thought he was doing right. But now his duty had 
been made plain by a vision. So there was a double wed- 
ding at Rev. Culison's. 

Rev. Culison had only one boy left now, Albert. He 
had a pony and almost every Sunday after church you 
could see him cross the Tulano and go east, no one seemed 
to know vv^here. 

Formation of Isms. 

Ike had been going to the Zealite church to see Ruth 
and finally joined that church. 

About this time a family came to Gideonville, con- 
sisting of four — father, mother and two brothers, the 
older Martin, and younger, Orlando, Castleton. Their 
pedigree was long, reaching back to an ancestor who owned 
a castle in Scotland. 

Orlando was a good singer and player. Some of the 
Zealites very much desired a piano and choir to be like 
the city churches. Ike Goodman led the van against in- 
strumental music. Orlando, though not a church member, 
persuaded the fashionable members that they must have 
a piano. 

Orlando went over to the Widow Goodman's, Ike's 
mother, to pour some oil on the troubled waters. Ike 
had a sister named Helen, who had been trained in Scot- 
land as a nurse and woman doctor, and v/ho had a small 
practice in Gideonville. 

Orlando wanted Helen to play. Helen was not a 



28 

GIDEON'S BAND 

member, but that was a small matter as they were to 
play to please the world. The church offered to hire Or- 
lando to perform all that portion of worship which con- 
sists of singing. Orlando said he'd sing as a gentleman, 
but not for money. 

The Zealites Divided. 

In Germany there are two classes; first, those who 
believe in an empire, and second, those believing in a re- 
public. In the Zealite church are two classes; those who 
believe that the A. C. is a spirit invisible, and those who 
believe that the A. C. is spirit and matter. 

The first class could not divide, but the second class 
did divide into two isms, named Old Zealites and New 
Zealite*. The New Zealites having a majority, claimed the 
house. 'They have a majority in numbers, but not in 
piety/' says Ike. They allowed Ike to build an ell to the 
church. Orlando joined the New Zealites and became their 
leader. 

Orlando went over to see Helen. They were becom- 
ing great friends. Helen was almost twenty-five years 
old. Being a doctor, she was a close observer of the signs 
of disease. She admired a sound person. Many had of- 
fered her their love, but she wanted a sound man. After 
Orlando and Helen had made out the program he started 
to go. He gave her his hand but she could not say good- 
bye. Her larynx was paralyzed by the magnetism of love. 
And as they gazed into each other's eyes he kissed her 
p:oodbve. 

Worship Conflicting 

Orlando being the younger, had been petted. Martin 
thought that Orlando was petted too much, so he opposed 
and ridiculed Orlando every w^ay he could. When Orlando 
joined the New Zealites Martin joined the Old Zealites 
and became their leader in class meeting. 

Orlando made out a • program containing songs he 
would sing, giving the order in which they would be sung. 
Martin, looking over Orlando's program, saw the title 
of his second song was: 

Will There Be Any Crown for Me? 

Vvill there be any crown for me 

When I hear the invitation 

To the marriage celebration 

And that faithful watchman cryeth 
''Behold! the bridegroom comethl" 

Will my lamp be burning bright? 



29 
GIDEON'S BAND 

Will I have a store of light? 
Will I be robed in white? 
Will there be any crown for me, 
Any crown, any crown? 

This w^as to be sung next Thursday at prayer meeting, 

Martin made out his program and concluded to sing 

There's no other way but that good old way. 

No, not one; no, not one. 

Martin hired two of the boys to help him. 

Before the (h)ell was built (Orlando always called 
it the "heir' because he always put on the "h", being an 
Englishman) there was a catch-all closet with its window 
on hinges, to let the air and light in. 

Martin placed one boy in the closet and one in the 
New Zealites' room. They practiced till perfect. The 
walls being padded so that one room would not disturb 
the other. 

Thursday night both isms met. Orlando sang "Will 
There Be Any Crown for Me?'' Martin got up to talk 
and w^ien the signal was given from the closet he sang 
''There's no other door, no other way but that good old 
fashioned way. No, not one; no, not one." The 
boys opened the door and window at the critical time and 
the musical notes, "No, not one," sounded plainly in the 
larger room in answer to the question: "Will there be any 
crown for me?" A map of the holy land had been hung 
over the closet door. The leader was just starting to pray 
when a voice, apparently from heaven, sounded "No, not 
one." The leader was a hypocrite and knew he wasn't 
entitled to any crown, but he didn't think the Lord would 
give him away that way. There was much confusion 
but they could see nothing. The janitor went to the front 
door and to the closet door, but both were shut. 

Afterwards this ism was called the "uncrowned or- 
chestra." 

After church, Orlando said to the deacons, "Did that 
strange voice come from heaven or the (h)ell?" 

The next day Orlando went over to the Goodmans' to 
find out what they knew about that strange voice and to 
see if Helen's voice had returned. He told her while there 
the old, old story of his love. 

As she gazed on his manly form, she thought surely 
the sublimity of masculinity has reached its consummation 
in Orlando. 



30 

GIDEON'S BAND 

^She now could speak and as she said goodbye Orlando 
thought that though there was no crown above for him, 
yet he might receive an earthly crown. 

Divisions Explained. 

There are four kinds of divisions: 

1. Mystery divisions. 

2. Holy divisions. 

3. Rebellious divisions. 

4. Ceremonial divisions. 

To illustrate this we will take the Zealites. In this 
ism of fifty members there were two classes. First, a 
class of ten members which we will call the spirit body or 
real church; second, the material church or lodge of forty 
members. 

Suppose you take any living body and cut it into a 
hundred parts; can that body or any of its parts live? 
No. Then the spirit body cannot be divided. These ten 
members did differ in their judgment on some particular 
point of doctrine but they were united in heart and Chris- 
tian affection. This we call the Mystery division. 

Holy division — Members that would destroy the spirit 
body must be cut off as commanded by Paul. "He that 
loveth not Christ, let him be anathema." 

What Are Rebellious Divisions? 

The spirit body believed in religious freedom. They 
did not believe that a man should be made a Christian by 
lorce. They said God will accept only a willing and un- 
constrained heart. 

They said one can become a Christian only by personal 
faith and spiritual change. But the secular members 
ill order to form a political church said that salvation 
came through outward ceremonies. They could compel 
the observance of these things. For instance, salvation 
to an infant came by infant sprinkling. Hence they prac- 
ticed miant baptism although it is unscriptural and merely 
a tradition. 

Infant baptism increased their membership. The only 

, way to get ahead of them was to sprinkle the parents for 

the children say, ten years before the children are born. 

This rebellious division was in favor of religious slavery. 

To illustrate this religious slavery, we give the fol- 
lowing: 



31 
GIDEON'S BAND 

In our own beloved country, in Boston, Clarke was 
imprisoned and fined. V\ hen standing stripped at the whip- 
ping post, he had his fine paid by a man who was greatly 
affected by the sight of a scholar, a gentleman and a di- 
vine in such a situation. On asking "What law of God 
or man had he (Clarke) broken?" Endicott replied: "You 
have denied infant baptism and deserve death." 

This rarty masquerading as part of the Zealites had 
rebelled and left the spirit body o^ the Zealites and called 
themselves New Zealites. Endicott was a religious rebel 
and Clarke belonged to the spirit body. 

This is called by the world a division of the church. 
But it is not in reality a division. We call it a rebellious 
division. 

What Are Ceremonial Divisions? 

Some of the members of the New Zealites believed 
that members should not wear jewelry and others thought 
that they should. They divided into the Anti- Jewelry 
and the Jewelry Zealites. This we call a ceremonial di- 
vision. 

Anti-Jewelry Zealites — Ism No. 3. 

A few zealous members, mostly the very poor and 
the pious rich, thought that jewelry was idolatrous. 
Hence they organized another ism called the Anti-Jewelry 
Zealites. They built on one side of the church a lean-to. 
The door was guarded by two men and two women. A 
man on each side of the door to examine the men that 
wished to enter. Also a woman on each side of the door 
to examine the women for jewelry as a revenue officer 
examines for goods that are smuggled. 

Rev. Culison became alarmed for his salary. Hence 
he concluded to hold a revival, but the isms would not 
meet in any one of the many rooms to hear him. There 
was warm weather in a few weeks and they concluded to 
hold a camp meeting in a large grove. 

Many joined, but there was hot discussion in divid- 
ing the converts among the isms. 

Some of the converts believed that the church should 
be a political party and by legislation save the world. 
They believed that the body saves the spirit and that by 
evolution man may become a sinless race. They were 
called Modern Zealites, ism No. 4. 



GIDEON\S BAND 



Orlando and Helen 

During the camp meeting Orlando and Helen led the 
choir. 

After the sermon Orlando and Helen walked away 
and sat down under a large shade tree by themselves. 

Helen, wishing to know more about Orlando, per- 
suaded her brother to write to Scotland to inquire concern- 
ing the character of Orlando. They had received no 
answer. Helen was undecided — weeping, hoping — wishing 
that she had a dear friend in Scotland. 

'•'I feel sure," she said, "that he loves me. He has 
told me the old-old-tho-ever-new story of his love. 

iN'^ow Orlando in full confidence told another old, old 
story. She cried as though her heart would break when 
he told that story — a story that only a faithful, honest 
man would tell the woman of his choice.; a story that men 
tell only to their doctor to whom they go for help. 

He had in old Scotland slipped and fallen, as so very 
many have done. 

"It is only fair," he said, " to let you know the risk 
you run in marrying me. 

They talked and wept together till she said: 

"Please leave me. I want to think over these things." 

Helen being a doctor knew that whatever she might 
be willing to risk herself for him, it wasn't right to risk 
it for lives yet to be. 

She had treated many little emaciated, sad, pale 
children. Said she, "If young men only realized, what 
would they give to prevent what they would give worlds 
to cure ? " 

As she unhitched her horse and rode away to see her 
patient, she said to herself, "We are taught that man as 
he came from the hand of God v/as perfect and lived for 
about 1,000 years. It has been claimed that men at one 
time v/ere forty feet tall. 

"Hov/ has he fallen and been reduced to a mere 
pigmy? Man is quite different from all the creatures of 
instinct. Carnality rages among them only one season 
in the year, thus allowing their system to recuperate 
durhig the remaining three seasons. But carnality rages 
in man every day and night in the year, forever drawing 
his vitality from him." 

Helen dressed in men's clothing, sailed for Europe, 
joined the army and became an army surgeon. 



33 
GIDEON'S BAND 

Edith, James Voss and the True or Jewelry Z. — Ism No. 3 

A young lady, Miss Edith Madison, from New York, 
came to Gideonville and put up a millinery store and dress 
making shop. 

She brought with her all the fashions — ancient, mod- 
ern and future; the Greecian bends of antiquity her grand- 
mother wore. But the most beautiful thing she wore was 
long tresses of hair, so long that when sitting down they 
reached to the floor. Artificial hair taken from a woman 
who had been diseased for over ten years. A person who 
lived in the slums, so vile she'd snub her on the street 
but she wore her hair and was proud of it. 

She brought with her all kinds of dresses. She cut 
them up and she cut them down. She cut them up so 
high that she could turn her head only with great pain. 

She was in great agony for fear her dresses and hats 
would go out of style before they were sold, and become as 
filthy rags to be given to the poor. 

Just opposite to her millinery store was a jewelry 
store. This store was run by James Voss. He 
repaired watches, clocks, sold diamonds, and it 
was said he could even make a clock. He had a v/onderful 
mind and brain, but a very thin body. He had his father's 
head, but a small body like his mother. 

He was v/hat some call absent-minded, but that was 
a misnomer because his mind was always present. Fire 
raid lightning could not take his mind from his business- — 
repairing and making inventions. But one day there 
seemed to be a change. James was frequently seen at 
the m.illinery store. He was trying to invent a hat for 
women. Women, he said, had been trying for many years 
to make a beautiful hat. They had made the hats all 
rim and no crown, and all crown and no rim, but never 
could make one that satisfied every one. 

While studying the millinery business he became ac- 
quainted with Edith, and friendship ripened into love. 
They became engaged. 

They decided to marry in a church, to make a living 
advertisement of their millinery and jewelry and diamonds. 
But there was no church house fine enough. 

At this time some rich people came to Gideonville 
and they didn't want to associate or fellowship with the 
poor. Hence they organized an ism called Jewelry Z. 
Some called them the Iscariot Z. 

They held that the church is a bride adorned for her 
husband. Hence it's a duty to put on all the ornaments 
possible when going to church. Each member must have 



34 

GIDEON^S BAND 



on a wedding garment. And as each Christian is a priest 
and offers his own sacrifice, he must be adorned like the 
ancient priest who wore a breast plate of gold mounted 
with precious stones. 

They built a fine church in Gideonville. Four persons, 
two men and two women, stood guard at the church door 
and only those who had on a wedding garment and gold 
breast plate were allowed to enter. 

Orlando joined this church because it did not baptize 
with water. He said that immersion was too silly and hu- 
miliating and that a man was not born three times. 

Degrees in This Church. 

First degree — Infants. 

Second degree — Probationists. 

Third degree — Hopefully converted. 

Fourth degree — Powerfully converted. 

This fourth was instituted by Christ, called the Peter- 
James-and-John Inner Circle. They acted as guardians 
Over the lower degrees. 

Each degree wore uniforms to indicate their rank as 
soldiers of the cross. 

In this Jewelry Z. church Edith and James were 
married. It certainly was a fine advertisement. Here 
v%ere hundreds of living human models like statues covered 
with jewelry. And they might just as well have been 
cold marble statues so far as worshiping God v/as con- 
cerned. This church had been used as a place for mating, 
religion being carefully avoided. 

Purity Z. — Ism No. 6. 

A man, in order to graft Jericho, which was jast across 
the river from Gideonville, organized Purity Z. 

This ism claimed to preach the gospel of purity. The 
head man was an object lesson showing how corrupt a 
man can be and still live. Surely venereal sins had left 
their mark upon him. 

His ghastly appearance caused hy sin was passed 
off by the ism as a sign of deep piety. 

The Vv^omen members had been discharged from a 
brothel on account of age. They joined this graft to 
masquerade and get married. All members of this church 
are compelled to get married and remain in the married 
state till death. 



35 
GIDEON^S BAND 

The doctrine is this: Woman caused the downfall of 
man. And to keep woman pure, she must remain in the 
married state. For this reason they believe in polygamy. 

Anti-Offensive Z. — Ism No. 7. 

Ike Goodman, the first elder of the Old Zealites, was 
in much trouble. A great many had joined his church. 
They became members notwithstanding the fact that most 
of them were not converted. They could not be turned out 
because they performed all the outward ceremonies. 

In this church a majority in numbers ruled instead 
of a majority in piety. The unconverted members could 
even elect the elders. 

Some of the very pious organized a church called 
the Anti- Offensive Z. 

Doctrine — They objected to the tuning fork, as it at- 
tracted attention of members from the spirit of the song to 
its pitch. For the same reason they objected to the hymn 
book with musical notes. They'd sing or chant in any way 
the spirit caused them to act. They claimed that the 
spirit sang through them, giving the very tone of voice 
as well as words, "for My word is spirit and it is life." 

They also objected to the bell ringing for church 
because so many bells, nine bells, caused a disturbance. 

The boys ringing the bells for nine churches had prac- 
ticed till they would ring the bells so as to play a tune. 
And it being instrumental music, was very objectionable. 

The Mighty Electric Hat. 

James Voss was inventing an electric hat for his wife. 

One trouble with James was his memory. It was so 
great that he had to pray to God for power to forget 
things not essential to his business. 

His body was not large enough to make blood sufficient 
to enable his brain to carry so much knowledge. 

He labored hard to keep every thing out of his mind 
but his specialty. Even the claims of those dearest to him 
were set aside. In his race to win the prize he laid aside 
every weight and the sin that might beset him. 

His wife understood him and knew that what ap- 
peared indifference or neglect on his part was merely gen- 
ius, the love for his specialty. 

His wife took pride in his work and even helped him. 
Otherwise he would have gone above her and she would 
have been lonely. She would become vexed with his 



36 

GIDEON'S BAND 



absent-mindedness, but only for a short time, because she 
l.new he was inventing that great electric hat for her. 

To illustrate: They lived in the edge of tov^n and 
would drive to their stores. One morning he helped her 
as usual do up the work. He was working in the kitchen 
and she in the bedroom. He poured out a jar of her jelly 
thinking it was v/ater and put a pan of oil on the stove, 
thinking it was water. It set the house afire. His wife 
came in and they put out the fire. He said, "Now, dear, 
I've done everything but throwing out the clock and wind- 
ing up the cat." 

She took out after him with a broom. 

She wore glasses, the upper part being used to see 
far away and the lower half to read with. James, it will 
be remembered, was very thin. In fact, so thin that he 
couldn't tell whether he had the backache or the colic. 
When she struck at him he w^ould turn sideways and she 
would miss him every time. 

She wore out her broom. 

A happy thought struck him. He said: "My dear, 
I can't invent a hat while you are disturbing me that way." 

She said, "Sweet man, I forgot," and she kissed him. 

"Oh!" said she, "I forgot that you are going to patent 
the hat so no one can wear it but me. Oh! Sweet, I will 
outshine all the belles of New York. 

The Holy Z.— Ism No. 8. 

The last ism organized in Jericho or West Gideonville 
was the Holy Zealites. They tried several times to organ- 
ize a new one, but the Holy Zealites would steal their 
preacher. 

You see, it was this way: 

Every member at every meeting must salute the 
preacher with a kiss. The preacher went to Canada with 
one of the sisters. All the preachers from the other isms 
except two, joined the Holy Zealites. And all of these 
preachers went with their affinities to Canada. Hence, 
there were eight isms and only two preachers. Six isms 
had no preachers. 

Rev. Culison didn't go and also the preacher of the 
Jewelry Zealites, because he had something more attrac- 
tive at home. 

This Holy Z. was called by some the Canadian Z., be- 
cause most of their preachers were either in Canada or 
on their way there. 



37 
GIDEON'S BAND 



It seemed that the isms were destroying themselves. 
But apparently for fear of uniting after death, each ism 
had a separate grave yard. But in all the grave yards 
were fingers pointing to the same place of rest. 

That Mighty Electric Hat. 

The great inventor, James Voss, was a nephew of the 
deacon of the O. B. C. His brain was so large and his 
body so small that his heart, like an engine was not strong 
enough to run both body and brain at the sam.e time. He 
was like a small boat once run on the Hudson river that 
had a small engine. To drum up trade along the river 
they put on this small boat a large whistle taken from a 
large steamboat. 

This boat had to stop to whistle. It couldn't run and 
whistle at the same time. 

James Voss in order to concentrate his mind on his 
invention locked himself up in a room for several days 
while his wife managed both stores. At last he an- 
nounced that he had perfected his invention. It was ad- 
vertised to be on exhibition at the Jewelry Z. on Tuesday 
night. It was a wonderful success and many dollars were 
taken in for the church. Edith wore the hat and sang 
several solos. The hat was well named for it electrified 
the people. 

In this hat was a light and mirror something like a 
pocket searchlight in its effects. Touch a button and it 
would light up the hat so every jewel in the hat would 
shine like a diamond, only more beautiful. 

Attached to the hat by strings were butterflies filled 
with gas and they would fly in circles around the hat, 
making a beautiful halo, moved by the power of an inside 
spring. 

Vision — ^A Sentence Weighed. 

While Elder Ike was much troubled over the divi- 
sions of the Old Z., he thought of that great sentence 
once uttered by Paul: 

*lf eating mxeat offend a brother, I will not eat 
meat so long as the world stands,'' 

While meditating on the love celestial and sublime 
contained in that sentence, a vision both real and mon~ 
strous passed before his mind in panorama. 

It seemed that the time spoken of in the Bible was 
upon us when the ancient of days did sit, whose hair was 
white, and the books were opened. The mighty scales of 



38 

GIDEON'S BAND 



justice were hung in mid air. Wonderful Gcales surpa -s 
mg all the ingenuity of man — they could weigh thoughts, 
feelings, the good and the evil in man. An angel put in 
one side of the scales that sentence of St. Paul. Then 
another angel put in the other side of the scales all the 
creeds and all secular books. Then an arch angel said: 

''It's not enough; put in the whole world and let her 
swing." 

So the world was put in and she did swing, but this 
mighty Pauline sentence swung down. 

And this sentence was declared the most weighty sen- 
tence ever uttered by the vocal chords of man. 

Paul on Mars Hill. 

Elder Ike was troubled the next day. He could not 
see why members should be so offensive to each other as 
to cause divisions. He read in Corinthians where Paul 
said to those who were causing divisions: "Are ye not 
carnal and walk as men?" 

Then he understoM the cause of divis"ions. At night 
he had another visior? 

Pauls Speech. 

There Paul stood on Mars' Hill. All Athens and 
the region around were pouring in from every country till 
Mars' Hill became the Christian mecca. 

'1 see that in your worship ye are carnal and walk as 
men, for there are many divisions among you. You have 
many creeds v/hich you worship. In vain do you worship, 
preaching a man-made God and creed. There is to most 
of you an unknown creed made by God. That creed I de- 
clare unto you. That foundation the words of inspira- 
tion interpreted by the spirit of truth." 

There was then a tumult in the meeting, some crying 
one thing and some another. One said, "Great is the 
creed of Luther." Another said great was Calvin of the 
Reformation. Then were the bishops and arch bishops of 
the whole earth gathered together, and a man whose name 
consisted mostly of titles stood up and said, "You see, 
brethren, by this occupation of preaching we make our 
living. If creeds were abolished religion would be so 
simple that common men would do the preaching and all 
churches would sure unite and that would reduce the 
number of preachers. 

"Hence, we must keep graft and creeds in the church 



39 
GIDEON'S BAND 

to keep her from uniting. For in so doing, we can make 
more money out of religion than out of medicine, law or 
anything else. *A11 that a man has he will give for his 
soul.' " 

This meeting was now disturbed by the great crowd 
which had come to hear Paul. Millions were now on the 
sea, and were still coming. Some of the bishops tried to 
make a graft out of the meeting by charging gate 
money, but Paul forbade and said the gospel is free. They 
could have taken in millions of dollars. 

Elder Ike Sees His Deceased Father. 

His father, Abraham Goodman, belonged to Gideon's 
band, but was killed on Ismite isle. The fog was heavy 
and Gideon ordered the ship to be anchored. When the 
fog disappeared Abe Goodman and two others were selected 
to examine the shore, but not to go far from the ships. 
Some of the natives were holding some kind of a religious 
ceremony under a large shade tree. It was death for any 
stranger to molest them. They had pickets out to guard. 
Abe and his companions were brave, active and alert, 
made so by hunting on the mountains of their native 
country. 

One of the guards saw Abe and shot him with an ar- 
row. Abe and his companions rushed for their boat, 
the guards pursuing. Through the underbrush they ran, 
to protect themselves from the arrov^^s which were flying 
in the air. 

But as soon as the natives got to the open which faced 
the sea, they saw the ship and retreated in haste. 

The wound would not have been mortal, had it not 
been that the arrow was poisoned. He died before they 
reached the next island. 

They took his body ashore and above the tide under an 
evergreen tres, so emblematical of his virtues, they buried 
him. They placed a large stone near the head of his grave. 
They inscribed on the stone: 

"Here lies the body of Abe Goodman, the 3d leader of 
Gideon band killed by a Zealot. (Signed) 

"GIDEON'S BAND." 

After the funeral they shook hands and wept over 
his grave. But the grief of his wife was beyond control 
and while she wept, some of them examined the isle, but 
no one was found. 



GIDEON^S BAND 



Then Abe's father stretched his trembling hands over 
the grave and said: "Son, you may now rest in peace, 
having long since taken the greatest degree a father can 
confer on his son, the knighthood of the Fifth Command- 
ment. And you are now buried in the honors of the inner 
church. And I am sure you'll rest in peace if from the 
spirit world you know that Gideon shed tears upon your 
grave." 

Elder Ike's Vision of Ismite Isle. 

As Gideon was returning from his long journey, he 
heard of Ike and stopped to see him. 

live said, "Fve longed to see you before I die. My 
heart is burdened with something. Just as soon as night 
comes on a terrible dream troubles me. Then the next 
night the same dream is repeated with some variations. 
This has continued for over a week and it together with my 
illness has made me a nervous wreck. You know I was 
quite a boy when my father died and his death made 
quite an impression on me. What he said to us, his chil- 
dren, before that poisoned fang of the Zealots destroyed 
his vital powers. How he gave us into the hand of his 
God who, as our father, would guard us if we put our 
trust in him. I feel that I've been putting my trust in 
worldly things and have been led astray and the spirit 
of my deceased father is warning me. 

"I dreamed I was on an island and my father ap- 
peared to me, with an arrow sticking in his breast and 
blood flowing. It so shocked me that I could neither 
speak nor move. But sommoning up all my courage I 
made an effort to pull the arrow away. He said: 'Son, 
let it stay. It shows I died in an attempt to discover this 
isle with a view of christianizing her isms. Come with me 
to the other side of this isle.' 

*We entered a cave. The first thing in view was a 
very large serpent. It had petrified but looked as natural 
as life. It had one child in its mouth and one it was 
coiled around. 

" This,' he said, 'has been worshiped, as you can see 
by appearances.' 

"Every step we took the cave became lighter. We 
could now see a gigantic stalactite fashioned like unto 
a man. "Here," said he, "you can see they have worshiped 
this idol." 

"He said: 'Come, son, and I'll show you an island full 



41 
GIDEON'S BAND 



of isms. Some formed here and others brought by mis- 
sionaries. It is dangerous to enter the island during the 
night. There are parasite men living on strangers. They 
are like an owl, very active during the night, but during 
the day the light of the sun is too strong. All of the 
frauds, fads, and fakes flourish here. Everything is a 
matter of dollars and cents. It's very common to see 
a beautiful lady serve a dish of flattery for twenty-five 
cents up to a dollar; common hand shake five cents. Kisses 
were common at twenty-five cents. Extra good ones at a 
dollar; fancy ones beyond the price of a poor man. Honor 
and virtue were sold on Market street like corn and canvas 
back ducks.' 

"All things were priced in the market and the souls 
of men. 

"All kinds of isms. A rich congregation would have 
over a dozen members. I've known an ism to exist for 
a long time with only one member alive. It had some 
members spoken for but they died just after they were 
born. Children are bought of their parents several years 
before they are born. For a stipulated amount parents 
agree to raise the children in a certain faith. I know a 
man who believed in worshiping different from anyone else, 
lie established a church consisting of himself alone. He 
tried to convert others but the rich isms had bought 
up all outsiders so that everybody belonged to some ism. 
He was too poor to pay much for outsiders so he wor- 
shiped by himself till he could buy or raise children. 

"One day as he was entering the court house he saw 
a man begging for enough money to get his marriage li- 
cense. Seeing his chance, he said: 'I'll give you the 
money, but you must give me your children for my 
church. You must sign a contract that so many of your 
children are to belong to my ism/ 

"You see there are so many preachers that laymen and 
sinners are at a premium. None of the natives are sinners 
— that is, non-members, it being against the law. All 
government officers are selected from the preachers. 
Hence the profession is desirable as a stepping tone. A 
layman is paid so much per year to attend church and 
listen to a sermon. 

"In the east side of the island there w^ere no isms. 
Each one became a knocker and they knocked the church 
out. Each one then worshiped at his own fireside in his 
own way. 



42 

GIDEON'S BAND 



^*We visited one family, consisting of a man and his 
wife. They worshiped in separate rooms in their dwell- 
ing. He preached unto himself as an audience and con- 
verted himself. He then organized an ism of his own. 
She did the same. He went to the river and baptized him- 
self, then to his room and administered the Lord's supper 
to himself, sang, prayed to God and preached. He wrote 
out his own .funeral sermon and put in his will that it 
should be read at his grave. 

"Returning, we saw the devil take off his horns and 
enter the finest church. There was no business on outside 
for him. Then we saw some Nazarites. This class of 
priests is almost worshiped. What do they do? Answer: 
Our liquor is water compared to liquor used in this isle. 
Here persons under its influence are guarded by Nazarites 
and put in jail while sobering off. 

"Marriage. 

"We saw one hundred couples go by. We went up 
to the news stand and put down twenty-five cents. I 
asked why people married so much. 

"As he answered this he counted his words on his 
fingers and said thus: 

" 'Marrying is a fad started by the rich who had 
nothing to do but flit from bud to ilower like a butterfly. 
Unable to stand the realities of married life, they live on 
the vain fringe of pleasure. Marrying was expensive, 
but they cared not for money. The pastor married them 
for ten dollars and divorced them for five. 

" The more marriage the more business for the clergy. 
Hence they claimed that God commanded marriage and 
that it was essential to salvation.' 

"One man was married and divorced one hundred times 
by the same minister inside of five years before he could 
find his true mate that God intended for him. The next 
day Vv'e saw one hundred ladies go into the court house be- 
fore the parson, who was judge. 

"Finding that they were to be divorced, we went to 
the city philosopher, who has a reason for all things, being 
able to go bacK to the first cause. Throwing down five 
dollars on his table, I said: 'Why are there so many 
divorces : ' 

"He picked up the five dollars as a merchant would, 
and began to measure his vv^ords out to me: 



43 

GIDEON^S BAND 



'^ ^Corruption/ he said. ^V/hen you find no unity in 
church you need not look for it in the family. They 
discuss creeds until party zeal drives them apart and they 
lose their reverence for the sanctity of that union which 
now appears to be of flesh and blood.' 

"I then put five dollars on the table and asked him 
why there were isms. 

'^ He said: ^Discontinuing spiritual worship. The 
not having that spiritual power that generates a centripetal 
force which forms a great circle with Christ in the center, 
instead of tangents.' 

"Church Insurance. 

"V/e found there were more engaged in this business 
than in tilling the soil — insurance for first heaven, for 
second heaven and third heaven. 

"Business insurance: There are experts who examine 
you and put you in a certain business. 

"Life insurance: A secret way of prolonging life, 
claimed by the church. 

"Just then my dream was disturbed by a man killing 
his wife for $1,000 — on her life. 

The Urim and Thummim. 

"I soon went to sleep and then occurred perhaps the 
most real and awful panorama that ever passed before 
the human mind. A, monstrous Urim and Thummim in 
which could be seen a polished stone that reflected moving 
pictures of the 'enchanted mountains.' 

"Millions wanted to see this urim but the rulers of 
the world formed a trust on these stones. 

"You could see an inspiration from above strike the 
Urim and then see it pass to the Thummim and from it 
to a certain patent machine. From this machine shad- 
ows were cast on a background. Each ruler had a different 
patent machine and hence different shadows. These shad- 
ows were photographed and sold to the people. 

"In the second scene, earthquakes and volcanos com- 
bined; hills trembled, palaces crumbled and thrones fell 
down. The books and records of men were burnt up. 

"In the third scene the urim and thummim were 
taken. Breast plates were made out of them. They re- 
flected moving pictures of great giants clad in armor from 
sandal to crown. 



44 

GIDEON'S BAND 



"Thev reflected a light in such a way that the best 
marksman could not hit them. They were so enchantmg 
?iat Cone of the enemy could come near them and live 
It ^^e^med that the end of all secular thmgs was near at 
hand Til things were now new and time was no longer 

% awoke at the sound of a trumphet and ^^as at raid 
to go to sleep again. Another vision like this might kill 

'''^* -But I found out that I had been dreaming only a 
short time but centuries had passed by and Fd seen more 
than I could with my natural eyes m a lite time. 
Speed of the Mind. 
Said Gideon: ''When by fever the brain becomes over 
sensitive, thoughts are voluntarily forced upon the mind 
Then the nerves are stretched to their full tension and 
thoughts come like an inspiration But this mighty rush 
of thoughts is partly stopped by the entertainment which 
?he five^enses give to the brain. Hearing gives music 
sight the beautiful scenery, taste draws blood frona the 
fevered brain, and touch and smell have also their allur^ 
ing charms. But in visions there is naught to stop the 
current of thought which passes over the mmd like an 
ethergraphed message around the world. 

In visions how swift is the speed of the mind, 
Time and space by its glance annihilating. 

But how are some events so strangely combined, 
Their scenes of time and place quickly changing r 

In its swift transition naught can compare; 

From the regions of bliss to those of despair. 

In racing, the cannon ball seems poised m mid air; 

And far behind the battle's roar and lightning's glare. 

Vision, thou unbiased prognosticator, 

So truly displaying the states of the mmd; 

Oblivious to all the senses in slumber, 

Thy shadows of fate are so truly divined. 

-Well, Uncle Gideon," said Ike, "I had a dream last 
night My father stood above the ocean's roar with that 
same arrow in his breast. With one hand pointed to 
the arrow, with the other he motioned me to come. He 
said to me: 'Christ was a hero killed by religious zealots 
and so were his followers heroes. Put on the whole armor 
of faith. Unite with Gideon and may the isms fall as the 
idols did before Gideon of old.' " 



45 
GIDEON\S BAND 

Gideon wept. For mark ye how he loved Abe. But 
the grief was changed to joy when he saw that Abe still 
lived in his son Isaac. 

Then Ike raised up and clasped the hand of Uncle 
Gideon and said: "To all who belong to Gideon's band, 
here's my heart and here's my hand. I belong* to this 
band. Hallelujah!" 

"No need of any arrow to point me the way I belong 
to this band." 

"I'd like to hear you preach once more," said Ike. 

"I'll preach," said Gideon, "on this porch that faces the 
fine shade trees in your back yard, next Saturday at 2 
o'clock." 

"That will give people time to come from the coun- 
try," said Ike. 

Gideon was a noted preacher and had been gone a long 
time. 

The Divorcement and Suffragist Zealltes. 

This ism was called the D. S. Z. There was some 
talk of organizing this ism in West Gideonville. 

Mrs. Edith Voss was troubled with four diseases, 
namely: Suffragitis, Ambitionitis, Tonguesilitis and Fash- 
ionitis. She, with others wanted to force the D. S. Z. 
into politics. 

Doctrine of the D. S. C.: Women were allowed to 
preach and hold office in the church and allowed a divorce. 
They quoted the Bible. "For adultery a man may put 
away his wife." And as man includes woman, a woman 
may put away her husband for adultery. Then they gave 
Christ's definition of adultery: "He that looketh on a 
woman to lust after her committeth adultery already in 
his heart." 

Under this definition the D. S. C. claimed that the love 
of either for some third party was a valid ground for di- 
vorce. 

Pre-Existence. 

They held that man's spirit has maintained its iden- 
tity eternally in the past and will maintain its identity 
eternally in the future. By this doctrine they explain 
why some are predestined to be saved and some to be 
lost. 

As evil in some part of the universe has always 
existed, it follows that heaven and hell have always existed 
somewhere. 



46 

GIDEON'S BAND 



Before our birth our spirit existed somewhere and our 
spirit needed punishment to purify it and hence it is pre- 
destined to punishment. 

For instance: John Smith existed in heaven one niill- 
ion years. He then became ungrateful and rebelled against 
heaven. Then John is born into this world with the sen- 
tence hanging over him. In other words, he is predestined 
to eternal punishment. 

But some spirit not needing punishment is pre-des- 
tined to salvation. 

Woman's Suffrage Convention. 

There was an attempt to force this ism into politics. 
In trying to force the D. S. C. into politics they divided 
and could neither organize the ism in Gideonville or force 
it into politics. 

Here Mrs. Edith Voss met her first Waterloo, and all 
because she did not wear her "mighty electric." 

It aroused all the resentment in her nature. Now she 
would either rule or ruin. And she planned to bring 
against it the force that would wipe it off the map of Gid- 
eonville, if not of the world. 

She and her friends concluded to hold an Anti-Wom- 
an's Suffrage convention in a grove of large trees that 
surrounded a lake. 

The Suffragists met at the same place but about one 
hour before the Antis. The Suffragists had invited a 
young man, a lawyer by the name of Brinkley Harrington. 
He very gallantly consented because being a good looking 
man, the ladies would vote for him if they got suffrage. 
Also, he wanted to advertise his ability as a speaker. 

The Antis had invited General Hunter, partly because 
he would advertise their meeting far and wide. 

After some red tape performance the first speaker 
was called. 

There was a platform improvised for the occasion. 
To get the speaker out of the sun the platform extended 
or jutted over the lake. B. H. took this platform. He said: 

''My dear, long suffering sisters, this is the most mo- 
mentous question: 'Shall our mothers be slaves?' Did 
they not help us gain our independence? Ask the girl 
who took care of that home and suffered the hardships of 
an invading foe, made clothes for the soldiers, taking care 
of the sick and wounded, molding bullets and even loading 



47 



GIDEON'S BAND 



guns. 'O, liberty! Dwell not thou alone in the habi- 
tations of men, but come make thy abode with the wives, 
sisters and daughters of men/ " 

He was making the speech of his life. He waxed 
more and more eloquent and when he had waxed most 
eloquent he stepped back to get a new start to charge 
the convention. But he stepped back and off into the lake. 

The ladies rescued him, put him in a buggy and took 
him to a farm house nearby, where his fine wet suit was 
changed for a farmer's suit. 

He was back in a short time. The water, instead of 
cooling his zeal, seemed to raise his aspirations to make an 
impression, especially on one of the ladies. 

He charged the stage more than before. He hit 
the desk before him so hard that he sent it in splinters 
to the ground below. Overcome by his emotions and 
unable to say more he sat down. Stunned by the force 
of his logic, but more by his magnetic eloquence, the women 
were unable to cheer him. 

Just' at this moment Edith Voss arrived with that 
''mighty electric hat" with a double charge of electricity 
and the inside springs well wound up. She touched the 
button and sat down where all could see her. The women 
sat gazing at her like carved statues in their seats, actu- 
ally unable to move. The silence was appalling. 

Then some little green upstart frogs formed a line 
at the edge of the water and began to hollow for B. H. 
Brin-kley Har-ring-ton, etc. 

The women tried to give three cheers for woman's 
suffrage but their hearts were up in their throats. Not 
being able to hollow the ovation or encore was given by the 
frogs that had just changed from the tadpole state in time 
to attend this convention and jumped out of the water to 
see what this old world looked like. 

The Antis then called on Edith's band to sing. 

Ten mothers formed a line in front of the stage. 
Each mother had a babe in her arms. They sang the 
following : 

What care I for the votes that are cast at the polls, sir? 

I'll sing to my babe, all the day long, all the day long, sir. 

My hopes are all staid; my heart and my treasure are 

in the cradle, 
And I'll have more treasures when my husband comes 

home, sir. 



48 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Women may shed their wings, come down and live like 

men, sir; 
Down from their celestial abode and angels no longer, 
But be mine a nobler and a grander sphere my calling to 

fulfill- 
To malie my home a shrine — the nation's paladium. 

The secretary then called General Hunter, He said: 
"The cry for liberty made here today reminds me of 
the cry for liberty made by France years ago and when 
religion was banished from them, they worshiped the 
goddess of liberty. They became the most corru.pt nation 
in the world. 

''My friend seems to think that liberty is like piety 
and honesty — you can never get enough. But all freedom 
and no self-control is the worst calamity that could ever 
happen to any nation. 

'*Is Woman's Suffrage Expedient? 

"My friends has said that her natural rights have 
been taken from her. The natural rights doctrine has 
been exploded fifty years ago. Suffrage is an expediency, 
not a right. We have no rights that are against the 
public good. Every man will be disfranchised and every 
woman be iranchised whenever it shall be decided that it 
is expedient to do so. It may be expedient to disfranchise 
all criminal men. If it is expedient that only one man 
or one woman in a county shall vote, then all others in that 
county will be disfranchised." 

Is It Expedient for Women to Vote? 

Then as he portrayed the unsexing of women, the 
bribing of v/omen, the drinking of women, and as he tried 
to overcome the effect of the first speech he was overcome 
himself and he wept over the degeneracy of woman. 

Then a silence full of voices followed his inspired 
words. Under the spell of his eloquence he'd changed 
the convention into a funeral. "I heard," said James 
Voss, "something dropping into the lake. But the spell 
Vr as upon me. I couldn't lift my head but turning my eyes 
up I could see the speaker. He had turned his head 
and tears were running down his cheeks and dropping into 
the lake below." 



49 
GIDEON'S BAND 



Then in the silence a large frog, made veaerable by 
the white foam on his head, came forward. No doubt 
from his size he must have been an old timer, one that 
had been around that lake many times and seen many 
conventions held under those shade trees. 

He got on a log with his mate. In a short time there 
was a line of frogs over ten feet long. They hollowed ''Hun- 
ter, Hu-un-ter." Then the secretary called on the whole 
convention to give three cheers for the frogs. This was 
done and it destroyed the D. S. C. in Gideonville. 

Said James to his wife: "I'm very glad you wore 
the "mighty electric" instead of your sunbonnet. Many 
nights I've labored till 2 o'clock to invent that hat, but 
it hasn't been in vain." 

As James Voss and his wife were going home they 
met Albert Culison going east on his pony. He ?iad 
been going east so often that they asked him v/here he 
was going. He said that he was looking at the beautiful 
country. 

Sermon of Gideon. 

On Saturday morning at 10 o'clock there were about 
one hundred families in covered wagons camped near Gid- 
eonville. They were members of the O. B. C. and had 
come here to escape persecution. There were also several 
from places where Gideon had been preaching. 

It had been reported that Gideon's band was going to 
march around Jericho. Jericho, or West Gideonville, was 
built on the west side of Tulano river. There was in 
Jericho a church house called by Gideon the "temple of 
Babel." It, like the tower of Babel, was built so as to 
be safe from high water. It was built on posts set in the 
ground. It was composed of ells and lean-tos and had 
seven rooms and seven isms met there. It was reported 
that Edith Voss would be there to hear Gideon with the 
"mighty electric." She was there and it caused a great 
crowd. . . 

Some came from pure motives, others from curiosity 
to hear Gideon. Others attended as though it were a 
vanity fair to exhibit the latest fashions from Pans, the 
most handsomely attired to carry off the premium. Some 
came to ridicule the others. . . -, . 

The isms were well represented as they wished m 
some way to counteract the influence of Gideon Vvhom 
they feared would un-Christianize them. 



50 

GIDEON'S BAND 



The members of the 0. B. C. formed in line. At the 
sound of the horn they started, led by seven elders. Each 
elder carried before him an open Bible. Congregations 
from other places were there and each was led by its 
deacon. Each deacon carried a banner on which were in- 
scribed in letters of fire the words: "Anathema Mara- 
natha." They crossed the Tulano below the dam, marched 
around Jericho once and crossed back and came to the 
grove of trees in Ike Goodman's yard. They wheeled 
Ike's little bed into his back porch and raised his pillow, 

Gideon and the elders sat down on the porch. Then 
this old song, Gideon's favorite, was sung: 

We're going home, we're going home, 
We're going home to die no more. 
There'll be no more, no more sorrow; 
Behold! Behold all things are new. 
Behold old things have passed away; 
There'll be no more, no, no more death. 

They sang this song to vv^arm up Uncle Gideon. His 
old time vigor returned, thank God. 

Text for Sermon. 

All the elders read the text, Mat. 16, 15-19: 

''But He (Christ) saith unto them: ^But whom say 
ye that I am?' 

"And Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art the 
Christ, the Son of the living God.' 

"And Jesus answered and said unto him: 'Blessed 
art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not 
revealed it unto thee, but My Father.' 

"And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon 
this rock I will build My church.' " 

Said Gideon: "My fellow travelers to the bar of 
God, we expect to prove from the above and other passages 
that Christ set up a church on the day of Pentecost and 
that it has been continued till the present time, indivisi- 
ble and celestial only. 

"We expfect to prove that this 0. B. C. is the same 
church that was set up by Christ and the only one set up 
by Christ. 

'We expect to prove the following things: 



51 
GIDEON'S BAND 



1. Material churches do not exist. 

2. The Apostolic or 0. B. C. is secret. 

3. It is indivisible. 

4. It is a spirit body. 

5. Worship spiritual. 

6. Union spiritual. 

7. Six kinds of delusions that cause isms. 
I. Majority vote. 

II. Debate. 

III. Graft. 

IV. Popularity. 
V. State church. 

VI. Offenses. 

1. The T. C. does not exist. 

1. Evidence: A living material body must have a ma- 
terial head. But material churches have no material 
head. Hence they are not living bodies. 

Christ never appointed a material head. Some say 
Peter was the head and give above text. 

If this was true, why did the mother of Zebedee's 
children ask Christ to let her two sons, James and John, 
sit one on the right and the other on the left in His king- 
dom? Christ said: "This is not Mine to give." Then 
how could He give it to Peter? 

Why was not someone designated by Christ as leader ? 
Because the Comforter was given to guide in all truth. 

If Christ had instituted a material church like the 
church of Moses, He would have designated a leader. 

To prove that a material church does not exist, we 
will examine the New Zealites. In this church are two 
classes, one a spirit body, the other a material part which 
worships materially and in delusions. The New Zealites 
became a state church. In order to get office, sinners, 
infidels and grafters joined this church. These being in 
the majority brought into the church many innovations. 
Hence, by corruption, she lost her identity and succession. 

The A. C. or O. B. C. is Secret. 

God is not flesh, but was manifested in the flesh. 
The 0. B. C. is not flesh but is manifested in the flesh. 

The O. B. C. is in the heart, but its effects can be seen. 
It is a secret that no Morgan can divulge. 

The 0. B. C, though invisible, may, like electricity, 
have a wonderful power. 



52 

GIDEON'S BAND 



All things worth anything are among the unseen. 
The deathless loves and aspirations. 

To illustrate: Are the poles and wires that help to 
carry the message from place to place any part of the 
electricity used? No. In like manner, material things 
si.ch as chairs and stoves, are for the comfort of the bodies 
o.^ the members worshiping, but are no part of the 0. 
B. C. — "Hidden wisdom which none of the princes of this 
world knew; for had they known it, they would not have 
crucified the Lord of glory." 

Hence an outsider under the delusion of sin cannot 
form major or minor premises. He cannot debate on re- 
ligion. To illustrate: The formation of ice is a secret to 
the Tropics. The 0. B. C. is a secret to him who has 
never been in the King's country — a secret to those blinded 
by party zeal. Paul "blasphemed the name of Christ, 
but did it ignorantly in unbelief." 

The A. C. or 0. B. C. is indivisible. There are no di- 
visions in the 0. B. C. A boy was assigned for an essay 
the subject, "The Snakes of Ireland." He read: "There 
are no snakes in Ireland," and sat down. We may say 
there are no divisions in the O, B. C. and sit down. 
Then is the O. B. C. an invisible union? Yes, and if this 
union is truly manifested in the flesh we have a visible 
union manifested. But there are what are called divi- 
sions. We classify these so-called divisions thus: Mys- 
tery divisions, Holy divisions, Rebelious divisions and 
ceremonial divisions. Only two of these divisions belong 
to the 0. B. C. 

1. Holy divisions — The 0. B. C. withdraws from 
members as commanded by Paul. 

2. Mystery division — This is a difference of opinion in 
regard to the mysteries of God. To illustrate that there 
are no real divisions, but much trouble, insanity, etc., 
we give this: George Whitefield and John Wesley in 1740. 
The above evangelists labored together with great love 
for each other. At Kennington common in London as 
high as 1,500 came out to hear them. They quarreled on 
Galvanism, John Wesley being an Armenian. Inferior 
combatants excited evil passions among the ignorant. 
The influence of these evangelists almost disappeared. 

But they were not really divided. Whitfield left to 
John Wesley by his will memorials of his affection. "To 
the two brothers, the Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wes- 
ley, in token of my indissolvable union with them in heart 



GIDEON'S BAND 







5:J 
GIDEON'S BAND 



and Christian affection, notwithstanding our difference in 
judgment about some particular points of doctrine." Whit- 
field and Wesley saw their folly of debating before the 
world and the wisdom of union. • 

The O. B. C. Indivisible. 

Evidence: 'There is one body, one Lord, one faith 
and one baptism." 

2. The 0. B, C. can't divide from this fact: The 
worship of the heart in the spirit and in truth can only be 
performed in one way. 

Hence conversion and union are one and inseparable, 
made so by God, who is "the same yesterday, today and 
forever in whom there is neither variableness nor shadow 
of turning." — Selea. 

The O. B. C. Is a Spirit Body 

Evidence: 1. All material bodies have a material 
head. All animals, nations and material churches have 
material heads as kings, presidents and head of the Mo- 
hammedan church. 

Christ is the only head the church has. The church, 
then, having no material head, cannot be a material church. 
Hence it must be a spirit body. 

See Fig 2.. .Tiiis represents the O. B. C. 

Can a spirit body be divided and yet live? Why is 
it spoken of as divided? Because the carnal mind thinks 
that material things are part of the 0. B. C. 

2. Evidence: It has been proven that the true church 
is indivisible. From church history we find that the 
spirit body has never divided. All others have divided; 
hence, the true church is a spirit body. 

3. Evidence: As the gates of hell were not to pre- 
vail against the true church, it must have been in exist- 
ence during the dark ages. It must have been a spirit 
body. Otherwise it would have been destroyed. 

4. Evidence: Paul says: "With the flesh I serve 
the law of sin, but with the mind the law of Christ." 
Hence the flesh is no part of the 0. B. C. "It is the spirit 
that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing." 

Since the flesh of man doesn't belong to the 0. B. C. 
or A. C, and as the flesh is the only part of man that is 
material, it follows that there is no worldly material in 
the A. C, Hence, the true church is a spirit body. It is 



54 

GIDEON'S BAND 

admitted by all that the universe is composed of spirit 
and matter only. 

5. Evidence: Christ said: ''They (His disciples) are 
not of this world, even as I am not of this world." He 
said: "My- kingdom is not of this world. Were it of 
this world, then would My servants fight for Me." State 
churches are of this world because they are established 
by the sword. 

"The kingdom of God cometh not by observation; 
behold it is within you." "Ye also as lively stones are 
built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up 
spiritual sacrifices." 

6. Evidence: Said Peter: "Thou art Jesus, the 
Christ, the Son of God." Christ said: "Flesh and blood 
hath not revealed this to Peter." Now on this revelation 
as a foundation, Christ said, he would build his church. 
Since this foundation is celestial, its superstructure is 
celestial, or a spirit body. 

7. Evidence: Paul says it is sown a natural body and 
raised a spiritual body. In immersion there is a death, 
burial and resurrection in the heart "by faith of the 
operation of God who raised Christ from the dead." Im- 
mersion is both a shadow and a substance. 

It is raised in the heart a spiritual body. Hence, 
there is as much evidence that the O. B. C. is celestial 
as that man v/ill be celestial after the resurrection. 

To illustrate we give this: A man tells how he was 
converted in a hospital while he was partly paralyzed 
so that he was unable to speak or use his hands. He wor- 
shiped God in the heart. But you will say he heard and 
that hearing is a function of the ear. But if hearing 
were part of the church, then we all would be partly in 
the church. The true Bible faith comes from hearing 
with the inward ear. The outward ear gives historical 
faith, which has no merit. This is evidenced by the fact 
that "the devils believe and tremble." "With the heart 
man believeth." 

8. Evidence: "Except a man be born of the spirit he 
cannot enter the kingdom of God." 

"That born of the flesh is flesh and that born of the 
spirit is spirit." 

Worship: Christ very plainly says that God is a 
spirit and desires that we should worship Him in spirit 
and in truth. God is not a temporal king and therefore 
cannot be worshiped materially. 



55 
GIDEON'S BAND 

Union: It follows from above that the union of mem- 
bers is spiritual. 

Baptism. 

Immersion is a trinity of shadows and a substance. 
For in the act of immersion there is a death, burial and 
resurrection in the heart "by faith of the operation of 
God, who raised Christ from the dead." Hence, immersion 
is a spiritual change, not a physical change. 

Objections to Immersion Answered. 

"Elisha said to Naaman: *Go and wash in Jordan 
seven times and thy flesh shall come again. ^ But Naaman 
said: *Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the 
waters of Israel?' But he went and dipped in Jordan and 
was healed." 

Some modern Naaman will say: "Couldn't immersion 
be administered in some better way?" 

It would be better to not baptize than to debase the 
rite of baptism so much that it would be no longer a sym- 
bol of the death, burial and resurrection. 

Why is not a man baptized every time he sins ? 

Answer: A Christian can't sin because "the seed 
remains in him." He does sin in one sense. He violates 
the law but does it involuntarily. "With the flesh I serve 
the law of sin, but with the mind the law of Christ." 

Paul says: "When I would do good, sin is present 
with me. Hence, it is no more I that sin, but «in that 
dwells in me." "Blessed is the man to whom God will not 
impute sin." 

Succession. 

From history we can prove that the 0. B. C. has 
continued its existence in the wilderness, in caves, even in 
denominations in Gideonville, and that in 1926, the woman 
(0. B. C.) on eagle wings, as interpreted by some, will 
leave the wilderness and begin to spread and eventually 
fill the whole earth. The mighty delusion will vanish 
away and the funeral dirge of material churches will then 
be sung. 

Origin of Isms. 

Some will say that the true church is destroyed 
by Satan and that an ism is the result. But Christ says, 
"The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." "They 



56 

GIDEON'S BAND 



can't pluck them out of my hands." If Satan could destroy 
the church he could destroy all the works of God. He 
could even destroy God. Because if you destroy the ef- 
fects (His works) you destroy the cause (God). A cause 
without effects cannot exist and vice versa. 

This may be illustrated by a swarm of bees. Some 
will tell you that moth has caused their bees to die, but 
such is not the case. When the queen bee dies the swarm 
will not protect the comb and hence the moth. 

There Are Six Kinds of Delusions That Cause Isms. 

1. Ruling by majority vote. 

2. Debates. 

3. Graft. 

4. Popularity. 

5. State churches. 

6. Offenses. 

1. Majority vote: Death of elders and most of con- 
verted members so that unconverted ones control the 
church and God removes the charter. Vox Populi, vox 
Dei is changed to vox devili. 

2. Debates: Debating degenerates into quarreling, 
into personal thrusts, and is carried on in such a bad spirit 
that converted members move away or join some other 
ism. . 

To illustrate: Children lose their respect for parents 
who are always quarreling. In like manner sinners lose 
their reverence for members who are always quarreling. 
Inferior minds and even members of the church will finally 
think that debate to destroy other isms is the main part 
of the worship. 

Some will get hot and some cold. They will divide 
into two parties and debate for seven days on a thing 
which never had an existence in the church. The debate 
is published and sent on its mission of making infidels. 

Graft: Men who join the church to make money may 
divide the church to accomplish their purpose. 

Popularity: The greater the church in regard to 
members, as a rule, the more corrupt it becomes, ^because 
broad is the road that leads to death, and many tread 
therein." 

^*If any man love the world, the love of the Father is 
not in him." "Know ye that the friendship of the world 
is enmity with God." 

State Church: Doctrine of Christ changed to please 
some political party that is in power. Christ divided 
church and state when he said: "Render unto Caesar 



57 
GIDEON^S BAND 



the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that 
are God's." 

Oflfenses. 

Christ said: "He that offends the least of these My 
brethren, it were better for him if a millstone were hanged 
about his neck and he were cast into the depths of the 
sea." 

Paul says: "If eating meat offend (cause him to be- 
come weak in the faith) a brother, I'll not eat meat offered 
to idols so long as the world stands." 

But some have eaten meat 
And taken Satan's seat; 

And have offensive been, 

Leading a life of sin. 
Reform now while you may 
By causing strife to cease. 
Throw non-essentials away 

And live in blissful peace. 
\ The love He does on you bestow 

1 ' That love to others show. 

\ Make of earth a paradise 

By this simple devise. 
By preaching it was designed 
To us the work assigned, 
: To unite this world of ours 

By love's angelic powers. 
Lost by the fall, and for that loss 
Love ascended on the cross 

And triumphed o'er the grave, 
: Thus showing its power to save. 

Ghowing the reality of immortality. 

For such love the earth did shake; 

All the realms of hell -did quake 
When Judas' lion prevailed 
The seal of death to break. 

Th3 sublimity of love reached its coPiSummation on 
the croos incarnate for our reformation. Love like this 
is from above and marks itself and Christ divine. Moved 
by this seventy-times-seven love, Christ has left us a rich 
legacy — one hundred-fold of houses and lands, sisters and 
Irothers and beyond, everlasting life. 



58 

GIDEON'S BAND 



To inherit we must obey His will — His will that we 
follow Him and unite together to evangelize the world. 

In St. John 17, union and conversion are put together 
as cause and effect, union the cause, conversion the effect. 
All missionaries should take notice that they are trying 
to place the effect before the cause. 

A pilgrim to Mount Zion sees many sign boards, and 
on every sign board are two arrows, one pointing back to 
the cross of Christ in the center of Union City and another 
arrow pointing to Mount Zion. 

Many isms are trying to get into the road to Mount 
Zion without going through Union City. But this arrow 
points them back to the starting point. These have not 
the spirit of truth and, like the blind leading the blind, 
they all fall into the ditch. 

To such persons we point as with an arrow to the last 
will and testament of Christ. 

What are you going to do with this prayer — this plea 
for union? Will you still remain in your sins, isms, or 
will you obey Christ and receive the Holy Ghost as 
promised ? 

Ike jumped out of bed and gave Gideon his hand. 

There's no need," said Ike, "of an arrow^ to point me 
the way. I belong to the restoration band. 

"Long darkness reigned around me 
Without one cheering ray of hope; 
But when the Saviour found me 
A lamp has showTi about the way." 

"Blessed art thou. Brother Isaac, for ^flesh and blood 
hath not revealed this unto you, but My Father.' On this 
divine inspiration as a foundation, Christ will build His 
church in Gideonville. Now, Brother Ike, tell us your 
experience." 

Ike told them of his troubles. How he had tried to 
serve God and belong to an ism and how happy he was 
since he found a true church that really did worship God. 

"Now," said Gideon, "you see the difference between 
an ism and a true church, will you now join the Apostolic?" 

Ike's wife, Ruth, came up, also Rev. Culison's son, 
David, and a few others. 

Gideon said: "Let us march once around Jericho 
every day for six days and the seventh day march seven 
limes around her and let there be a great shout in Israel 
and the walls of sectarianism will fall flat to the ground. 



59 
GIDEON^S BAND 

"Let all who wish to mourn for the divided condition 
of Christians and wish to meet and march round Jericho 
next Monday come up and shake hands." 

All members shook hands and with much affection 
he bade them goodbye. 

Edith Voss and Fashions. 

James Voss and Edith shook hands with Gideon and 
Victoria and invited them to stay all night with them. 

On the road James told Gideon that he had two nice 
children and he wanted to raise them in the faith of his 
fathers, his folks being pioneers and heroes of the O. B. C. 
in Scotland. He said he was tired out with so much finery. 
He said he could not stand the worries of high life. He 
wanted to live the simple life also for another reason — he 
could not stand the expenses of high life and be honest. 
Edith made trips to New York and had bought a large 
quantity of millinery and competition had become greater 
than she expected. And her goods went out of style and 
she had to give them away. 

After supper Gideon read a chapter and prayed that 
they might not conform to this world bat that they 
might be transformed by the renewing of their spirits and 
that they might have that inward adorning of the soul. 

That night James had a dream and he thought his 
wife's "mighty electric" hat was on a flag pole jast above 
her millinery store. It was very large and bright. The 
halo was running at full speed and the diamonds moved 
like eyes and it appeared to be a thing of life. People 
in vast crovv^ds were taking off their hats to it; superstitious 
ones were bov;ing down to it. 

After breakfast next morning James took a walk 
Vvdth Uncle Gideon and told him his dream. 

With a grave and thoughtful look, Gideon said: 
"When the wind and waterfalls are harnessed up to do 
man's bidding and labor shall be no more; when destruc- 
tion shall become construction; when we become able to 
handle the cyclone and make it turn and run our factories; 
v\^hen the heat of the inside of the earth that escapes up 
the chimneys of volcanoes shall be piped into our houses 
to warm them — then a second Moses shall arise and de- 
stroy the slavery of fashions from off this earth," 

"Then," said James, "Fm living in awful dread for 
fear some one will get a great improvement on the "mighty 
electric" hat and thus prevent me from getting anything 



60 

GIDEON'S BAx\I) 



for my patent and the many sleepless nights I've spent. 

"0 fashions have made things so high that I can't 
live any longer and funeral fashions are so high that 
I can't die. What shall I do?" 

•*If I was only Jack the Giant (Fool) Killer for a short 
period of time I'd go over this earth with a great big fine- 
toothed comb with a microbe searchlight attachment and 
Vd gather up the little mites of humanity that are bowing 
to the god of fashion and I'd dress them in decent clothing 
and make them earn an honest living. 

"0, if I only had that god of fashion by the nape of 
the neck and the slack of the pants I'd throw him with 
such dynamic force against the north pole that I'd raise 
blisters on the bottom of the icebergs." 

They walked back and found Victoria arrayed in a 
beautiful new bonnet that Edith had given her. It was 
lined with white roses. In the center of each rose was a 
jewel. There were radiators which caused the jev/els to 
blaze like diamonds and also gave to the roses a radiant 
white and to every wrinkle a beautiful smile. 

James says, ''Victoria is the most beautiful woman I 
ever saw, considering her age." 

As Gideon walked over to see the elders, he said to 
himself: ''That's a nice bonnet." 

He thought of Victoria when she was sweet sixteen, 
and he said to himself: "Whatever others say, to me — " 
and he hummed to himself, "she's the same old girl." 

Edith and James had completed three more mighty 
electric hats. They were needing some more money, hence 
they concluded to sell the hats. 

Martin had a daughter, Irene, about eighteen years 
old, that he expected to send to New York and he wanted 
to buy one for her. They sold one to Irene. 
Monday morning. 

This Vv^as on Monday morning. The next day, Tues- 
day, there was to be a big show in Gideonville. 

Edith and Irene planned that they would have a 
^:ho\ ' so great that the big show would only be a side 
show. Irene was beautiful and dressed in white, with 
that large arm dress like wings and the halo, would appear 
liKe an angel. Then Edith, with her mighty hat and her 

mighty electric tongue . She had talked one woman 

into baying a hat and dress, though years behind the 
style. :::;he would have talked another into buying some- 
thing but the victim of her mesmeric tongue tainted and 
they carried her over to the doctor s oftice. 



61 
GIDEON'S BAND 

Second Day of Mourning — Monday 

The bell began to toll early on this Monday morning. 
The mourners met at the church and sang this hymn : 

If we only knew the things 
That belong to our true peace — 
That all isms are delusions 
And lead to great confusions, 
Then we'd realize our state 

And in sackcloth lie prostrate; 

And we'd toll the Angelus 
For the guiding spirit of truth. 

If we only knew the things 

That belong to our true peace — 

Many isms without charters, 
Without com.missioned preachers, 

We'd hang our harps on the willow, 
Heavily laden with sorrow; 
And we'd toll the Angelus 

For the guiding spirit of truth. 

CHORUS: 

Toll, toll the bell, let every pew be draped 
Praying for His guiding spirit of love. 
Toll, toll the bell, so soft and mournfully. 
For Christians are divided by a mighty delusion. 

They formed a procession, each one wearing crepe 
which hung nearly to the ground. They marched once 
around and crossed the river back to their church. In 
the church they all prostrated themselves in silent prayer 
for some time. 

This strangely contrasted with a kind of regala day 
held at Smithton on this very day. Some called it a con- 
vention. 

One preacher was telling of a great camp meeting he 
held and of his converts. They were his converts for 
they were not the Lord's, because at the time he was 
telling this his converts had all gone back to the world. 

This jubilee convention was held every century to 
comemmorate the freedom of the church in 313. It will 
be remembered that in the first 300 years Paganism was 



62 

GIDEON'S BAND 



on the throne and Christians were killed. In 313 Con- 
stantine issued his edict granting* to "Christians and all 
others freedom in the exercise of religion." To give this 
comemmoration more notoriety, a few Christians that had 
been imprisoned were hung. "0, consistency, thou art a 
jewel." 

Gideon now held a love feast, after which they planned 
and v/orked together as they had done in times of danger 
on the sea. They were now to fight a strong enemy which 
required more than human strength to combat. They were 
not to be intoxicated by partial success and thus fail in 
the moment of victory. Gideon exhorting them to pray 
without ceasing and in all things to give thanks, they 
were dismissed. 

Third Day of Mourning — Tuesday. 

Yesterday there arrived from Scotland a lady. Miss 
Mabel Castleton, on a visit to see her cousins. They had 
expected her for some time. She was the best dressed 
woman in Europe, had danced with the prince, and was 
wealthy. 

Go search all nature and art and you'll never find 
anything so attractive to man as a handsome lady well 
dressed. 

All Gideonville, Smithton, and the country for many 
miles around were in an uproar. All wanted to see her. 

She went to Martin's house and saw Irene's electric 
hat. She sent her servant over to the millinery store and 
bought an electric hat. 

Tuesday a large crowd came to see the show, the 
best dressed woman in Europe, the ''mighty electric" hat 
and the funeral procession. 

Early Tuesday morning the bell began to toll and it 
tolled for over an hour and during the funeral march 
around Jericho. The pulpit was draped in mourning and 
a black flag floated on the gentle breeze. The procession 
was headed by Gideon who carried an open Bible draped 
in mourning, followed by Uncle Samuel Goodman, who 
carried a picture of the Hebrew children who were exiles 
weeping and their harps hanging on the willows. Ike 
followed, bearing a picture of Christ weeping over Je- 
rusalem. 

Just before the procession started, Tobe Jones, who 



GIDEON'S BAND 




63 
GIDEON'S BAND 



lives near Smithton, brought his wife to the millinery store 
and traded Edith eighty acres of land for a mighty electric- 
hat. 

See picture of Tobe Jones and his wife. 

Then Mrs. Jones, Miss Mabel, Mrs. Edith and Miss 
Irene Castleton started up the street to join the procession. 
Each one had an electric hat. They touched the buttons 
on their hats and the jewels gleamed on their white 
robed dresses and that beautiful halo like a crown of dia- 
monds blazed. Some thought that the saints from above 
had descended, while others thought this was the parade 
for the big show. All the people followed to see the 
eighth wonder of the world. 

Just as they started to march, the big parade for 
the show came into Gideonville. There was nobody in 
Gideonville to see the parade. The proprietor came to see 
what was the trouble. He saw the trouble and started to say 
something to Mabel, the best dressed lady in Europe, but 
Edith was there and they carried on about three conversa- 
tions at the same time. 

At last all four ladies joined together against the 
proprietor. Edith with her halo running beyond the 
speed limit and her electric eyes, electric smile and 
electric tongue. The proprietor, overcome by the power 
of their combined mesmerism fainted away and was car- 
ried by a good Samaritan to the shade. Soon two more 
showmen came up and took care of him. 

The showmen, seeing that the crowd would not leave, 
gave a large sum of money to the ladies to lead the 
parade. They led the parade down the street and to the 
show grounds. But the crowd stayed on the outside till 
the manager, seeing the predicament of things, put them 
in the show ring and there they out-showed all the circus 
and menagerie combined. 

Fourth Day of Mourning — Wednesday. 

After marching around Jericho and back to the church 
they hung a large picture above the pulpit. This repre- 
sented Christ on a high eminence, weeping over Smithton 
while its inhabitants were holding a synod, a regala day 
and hanging Christians. 

Said Gideon: ''Daniel mourned for his nation that 
was in captivity. So we mourn for the prodigals and 
isms that are in captivity who are deafened by the sound 
of some siren, blinded by some phantom light, bound by 



64 

GIDEON'S BAND 



error's chain to a monster. Daniel was cast into a lions' 
den because he would not worship a human statue set up 
by a king. So have we been persecuted because we 
worship not an ism. 

How becoming on this occasion to suppress our grief, 
thus following the great Master." 

As the bell this morning was tolling for the funeral 
of the isms, it tolled the knell of one departing soul in 
Gideonville. This was Orlando, the great singer.- From 
early childhood he'd been allowed to enjoy all the pleas- 
ures of life. After maturity he indulged in drinking. 
Nature gave him warning by pain and sorrow to discon- 
tinue. He heeded it not. He was ashamed to go to the 
saloon, so he drank at home. 

He was careful of his reputation and clothes. Vain 
glory he loved and the uppermost seat in the choir. Many 
were surprised at the suddenness with which his life went 
out in a state of intoxication. There was published in 
the ''Gideonville News:" "Resolved, That death has come 
among us and claimed one of our brightest lights. We 
v/eep not as those without hope, because his zeal for his 
church will bring a reward. Well is it verified by this 
case that death loves a shining miark." 

Someone came in church and asked Gideon if he would 
tell the people that there would be a funeral, giving time 
and place. Gideon then changed his subject and spoke 
on the evils of intemperance. 

"This evil," said Gideon, "destroys the harmony which 
naturally exists in every human body. Our body has been 
called a harp of a thousand strings^ Liquor acts on this 
harp and injures the strings or nerves. It partly para- 
lyzes the nerves so they can't order a supply of nutriment. 

Alcohol in the stomach will not allow the food to 
digest but will if its use is continued, starve a man to 
death." 

Then they sang the following: 

The Aching Void. 

This human harp no rapture brings — 
Great harp of a thousand strings. 
I've played too high, I'm now too low; 
Slowly I'm starving, I know. 
These nerves are almost paralyzed 
Yet no plan can be devised 



65 
GIDEON'S BAND 



Whereby to order on supplies. 
Hence, this poisoned body dies. 

CHORUS—FIRST VERSE 

Come, Ye wretched, poor and needy; 

Sick, in prison, naked, blind — 

Come buy bread and milk and honey; 

Fill, O fill that aching void. 

Fill, O fill. Fill, fill. 

Fill, fill that aching void. 

D. S. 

On that great harp don't play too high 
Or you'll mourn and sadly sigh: 
"I've lost that harmonious tone; 
I'm now left to sadly moan. 
My nerves have been too often strained, 
I'm all unstrung — nothing gained. 
O! This void is so much larger — 
Aching harder and harder 

CHORUS— SECOND VERSE 

"My firm resolve, O God sustain, 
I'll drink no more; I'll abstain; 
Then rapture fills this aching void. 
O God, I ask for no more. 
Fills me now, fills me now; 
God, I ask for no more. 
Then rapture fills this aching void — 
God, I ask for no more." 

Tonguesilitis. 

James Voss became uneasy about his wife, Edith. 
She talked to him all day and all night. She could sleep and 
talk at the same time. He was afraid she might become 
insane or he might become insane. Doctor Helen had 
come back to Gideonville and James went over to her office 
to ask advice. 

She said: "The tongue no man can tame with drugs. 
It must be done by a higher power. It has been accom- 
plished by conversion. 'If any man bridleth not his 
tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's religion is 



66 

GIDEON'S BAND 



^Taming the tongue was tried in Massachussetts. A 
scold was gagged and placed near her door when in scold- 
ing she used harsh, rude or coarse language. The 0. B. 
C. cured her by conversion. 

"You might experiment with her as some boys did 
with their friend who used too much liquor. They re- 
formed him by taking down in shorthand the foolish 
secrets he told about his girl and reading them to him 
after he became sober. When he read them, he said: 
*ril never take another drop.' " 

James said he would try this on his wife. 

Professor Morgan, Pete's son, was teaching in Gid- 
eonville. He was a shorthand reporter. James hired him 
to come over Wednesday night. He hired two of the 
fastest talking women in all that country. 

Prof. Morgan and James started the conversation. 
James said: "Did you ever read the book of Job? I'd 
like to call your attention to his three faithful friends. 
They came to see him and when they lifted up their eyes 
afar off and knew him not, they lifted up their voices and 
wept, and they sat down with him upon the ground 
?even days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto 
him, for they saw his grief was very great.' 

"How many women ever sat down seven days and 
seven nights without speaking a word?" 

Said Edith: "If a woman had been there she would 
have put all kinds of poultices and plasters on him from 
crown to sandal and he would have been well in seven 
days." 

Edith talked without periods and so fast no one 
could say a word. No matter how many were talking 
Edith continued to talk with this one exception: she would 
stop to ask a question, but she would still hold her 
mouth open so that if you ever made a pause, broke down 
or hesitated, she would begin. 

Says Prof :"Theologians have proven that there are no 
wom.en in heaven. They refer you to Rev 8, 1: *When 
he'd opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven 
about the space of half an hour.' Now, you know no 
uoman could keep still for the space of half an hour. 
Therefore, there are no women in heaven." 

The three ladies answered this at the same time. 
One said: "I'd like to know what the men in heaven would 
do." The second woman said: "It proves too much there 
would be no heaven for the men." The third woman said: 



67 
GIDEON\S BAND 



"Such a heaven would freeze into an iceberg the hottest 
revival ever held by a spurgeon." James then had to go 
up town to his lodge. They were so interested in talking 
that they did not notice when he left. 

When James came back his wife was all the one ap- 
parently alive. The professor had been overcome by brain 
exhaustion taking down three conversations at one time. 
The two ladies had fainted away. Edith was not able 
to use her tongue, but was talking to James on her hands. 

Doctor Helen after examining Edith told her she was 
suffering from tonguesilitis. 

Fifth Day, Thursday— Faith. 

After marching around Jericho, they sang the follow- 
ing song: 

Twas bv faith old Gideon 
With his 300 won 
When Midians for plunder 
Covered like grasshoppers 
Every valley and hill, 
What's there his fear to still? 

'Twas his brave united band — 
Faith that God still ruled the land. 
When horns sounded the token 
The pitchers were broken 
And their Jehova had won. 
Heard ye, old Gideon? 
All for one and one for all. 
See' see! the idols fall! 

''By faith,'-' said Gideon, ''men were able to stand the 
tortures in the time of King Henry. Heaven to them 
was more real than tortures. 

" 'Blessed are they that hunger after immortality 
filled.' God has not created a desire that he will not 
satisfy. 

" 'Blessed are they that hunger after immortality 
for they shall obtain everlasting life.' 

" 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Sub- 
stance is reality. The things hoped for are immortality. 
Substituting these for their equals we have the second 
sentence: 'Faith is the reality of immortality.'" 

Gideon's band then sang the following: 



68 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Faith is reality; 

Man cannot die. 
Doubt is nonentity; 

Man cannot die. 

He'll reign above the sun, 

As radiant as the day. 
But every faithless one 

Dies every day. 

With laurels and the pine 

For the faithful — 
Ever green let them Avave 

O'er the faithful. 

Hearts beat no sad marches — 
Funeral marches to the grave, 

But triumphant marches 
Beyond the grave. 

Then Gideon took this text: "Be strong and courage- 
ous and sanctify the people." Obeying this text the Is- 
raelites were able to drive out the Cananites, Hittites, 
Perrizites, Amorites and Jebuzites. 

Said Gideon: "Let all the members of this band be 
courageous and sanctified. Then will they be able to 
drive out the Ismites, Babelites, Hatrites, Blasphemites, 
Inconstantites, Carnalites and Wranglingites." 

The members being well drilled in all that pertains 
to Christian warfare and sanctified for the work at hand, 
in unity departed to their several abodes. 

Ambition. 

On Thursday the high school closed and they were 
going to have an exhibition at night. 

James Voss a few weeks ago had gone to see Profes- 
sor Morgan. He wanted to see if he couldn't cure his 
wife. She was troubled with ambitionitis. She had been 
running the styles in Gideonville and now she was trying 
to run them in New York. She formed a trust with some 
rich ladies and was running the styles for fifty miles 
around Gideonville. They went to Paris and got goods 
that had been out of style for three or more years and 
bought the goods at about one-fourth of the first cost 
to manufacture them. 



69 
GIDEON^S BAND 



James said he was tired of so much high life. He 
wanted his wife to join the church and settle down. 

Professor Morgan told him that he would have an ex- 
hibition on the subject of racing after fashions and pleas- 
ures, and show up the evils of a false ambition. 

At early candle-lighting the audience was called to- 
order. Professor Morgan had hung upon the wall a 
picture of "Napoleon Wading Through Slaughter to a 
Throne and Shutting the Gates of Mercy on Mankind." 
Also a parorama of a hundred different styles. 

There were ten school children that had been shipped 
from London, called orphans. They had been born outside 
of Vv^edlock, and their parents were too proud to claim 
them. These formed a line and sang the following: 

Where is my wandering ma tonight? 

Ma that gave us that tender care, 
That gave to our home its joy and light — 

Taught us our trundle-bed prayer Y 

Her life as pure as sparkling dew 
As she shared in our childish glee. 

And none so faithful, so fond and true. 
And none so swee-eet as she. 

Ambition entered her hamlet; 

She ascended the golden stair. 
For she'd read of the spear and helmet, 

Of counts and their diamonds' glare. 

She marries a title and name; 

A pedigreed standard disease. 
And they'd drink and engage in some game 

While sailing their yachts on the seas. 

Takes in the higher thought culture. 

The latest sensation and fad; 
Living on the vain fringe of pleasure, 

Forever more on the gad. 

And for her revelries to pay, 

With a wet rag on her head, sir. 
She spends her long and weary day 

A-taking bromo seltzer. 



70 

GIDEON'S BAND 

CHORUS 

where is my ma tonight? 
O where is my ma tonight? 

There's no one can love me like my mama; 
where is my ma tonight? 

Storage Battery. 

Professor Morgan said that the ambitions of some 
were like Paddy's toad: they went by fits and jerks. The 
higher the ups, the lower the downs. They should have 
a storage battery. 

Then five girls dressed in white, as virgins, came for- 
ward. Each girl held a lamp full of oil and sang the 
following: 

When we hear the invitation 
To the marriage celebration 
And that faithful watchman cryeth 
''Behold! the bridegroom cometh!" 
Then in the darkness of the night 
May we have a store of light; 
Every lamp be burning bright — 
Virgins clothed in white. 

CHORUS 

Let us treasure up the sun beams; 

Let us keep love's gems on hand. 

And equal to all the demand 
To brighten some cloudy day. 

Without a reserve force on hand. 
No mortal can ever stand. 
Though he may run well for a while, 
When given by his girl a smile. 
But when his Dulcina leaves him 
He's changed round by every whim. 
He goes insane upon the spot 
Dies a drunken sot. 

Exhausted by flying too high, 

Too low he falls bye and bye. 

He has no storage batteries 

Or steam gauge with marked degrees. 



71 
GIDEON^S BAND 



He's like a town boomed too high-o; 
And bye and bye he falls too low. 
Reads his doom in the gathering gloom 
Hopes a withered bloom. 

When in old age we dream alone 
All the golden days weVe known — 
Golden treasures along the way, 
Gathered for a cloudy day; 
Hear the laughter of little girls, 
Sunshine on their golden curls — 
Mother, sing that sweet bye and bye, 
Purring lullaby. 

Microbes of Ambilion. 

By Professor Morgan. 

It is claimed that were our microscopes powerful 
enough, they would show that everything is composed of 
microbes. 

It is said that if the microbes of old age were taken 
out and new ones put in, man would live forever. Hence, 
we are on the verge of discovering the fountain of im- 
mortal youth. 

Love is merely an exchange of microbes. Hate 
exists when they will not exchange; mesmerism when the 
microbes go only from the operator to the victim. 

Marriage is a complete exchange of them. Every 
goo-goo eye is produced by microbes. Language is a 
microbe. 

When you said to this muscle, ^'Let there be con- 
traction," then there was contraction. God said, "Let 
there be light,'' and there was light. 

By the word of God the worlds were made. He spake 
into existence a pulseless earth. 

How Small Are Microbes? 

They are so small that they can fly through our bodies 
without touching side, edge or bottom. Evidence: In all 
animals are parasites, vve call one parasite microbe No. 
1. In No. 1 we fhid a microbe; we call this No. 2, and so 
on till we find everything is composed of microbes. 

t'ire is an army oi microbes. Also the lantern car- 
ried by the lightning bug. The flame that gives light to 
man is a celestial microbe. 



72 

GIDEON'S BAND 

Ambition. 

The microbe of ambition enters the blood and thus 
the brain, and says: ''Haul down your flag; I'm going- 
to control this brain/' 

The brain says : "You're rather small." 

The Generalissimo of the microbe says: "Yes; no 
scales were ever made fine enough to weigh me. But you 
weigh 200 pounds and I'll cut you down till you weigh only 
120 pounds and if you say much, or are too proud, I'll 
nail you up in a box and consign you to the dreamless, 
tongueless dust." 

Many women are wrecked by a false ambition of a po- 
litical, vain and worldly nature leading to pride, selfish- 
ness, overexertion of body or mind, disease and homeli- 
ness As the microbe enters her brain the walls of her 
cottage expand into a kingly palace and she mounts the 
golden stairs which lead on to fame — leaves her cradle, 
her home and friends. But what has become of that lovely 
spirit so birdlike and so pure? Gone, gone; frozen into 
a heartless woman. 

She forsakes the ties and responsibilities of mother- 
hood; says that raising children is a small matter; claims 
that children should be raised in a foundling asylum. 

Some ambitious women have been directed to the ant 
for wisdom. But we would say: "Go ye rather to the 
domestic fowl and learn from nature as she teaches that 
bird." Hens do not waste their time soaring above the 
earth. They are useful walking, sitting or laying. 

Some birds are more beautiful, some swifter of foot, 
some more powerful of wing, as the conder, that bathes 
his pinions in the deep blue sky. But none can equal the 
hen for usefulness. The captain leads his flock of hens 
out early, shows them where and how to pick the worms 
and feeds them as so many little chicks; all the time 
making that sweet little music, that little purring sound 
which so many boys make to their girls. 

At night he leads them back to their roost and at 
twelve o'clock he crows to let them know that he is still 
in the bosom of his family to protect them from 'coons. 

Take the rooster and put .him in a basin of diamond 
dyes and give him all the colors of the rainbow. Then 
polish and varnish his feet till he can use them for a look- 
ing glass. Now take peafowl feathers and decorate his 



GIDEON'S BAND 



tail therewith. Set him down in the lot. You'll now see 
a wonderful light. All the hens in that vicinity will leave 
their roosters that have scratched for them for years and 
years, and they will crowd round that Diamond dyed 
rooster,^ all satisfied that they have found their affinity. 

This Diamond dyed rooster will fly on the topmost rail 
of a high fence and flap his wings and crov/ a' loud and 
lusty crow. Then the hens will crowd around him like 
a great circus. First on this side, then on that, to see 
if he is beautiful all over and stare at him till their necks 
are cramped and their eyes are sore. 

So it is that many women are caught by the diamond's 
glare. You remember when Patrick Henry was making 
that great speech and all were moved. A lady jumped up 
and pointing to a diamond on Patrick's little finger, said: 
'*0 see that diamond blaze." 

You miay dress a common man up in peafowl clothing 
and diamonds; give him hip pants, a cigar and part his 
hair in the middle. Now, as he holds his pants up with 
one hand, rolls his cigarette with the other and tosses 
his head back to keep the hair out of his eyes, the girls 
will all crowd around this new attraction, each girl being 
sure she has found her affinity. 

But some girls are so ambitious that tliay are not 
satisfied with an American dude. They are plotting and 
scheming. They have designs on the weakness and pov- 
erty of some of the titulary dignitaries of Europe. Am- 
bitious for a title, so that with a great name and a blaze 
of jewelry they can lead society. She goes to Europe to 
catch a dui.e or dummy prince. A nobleman who has a 
royal blood disease, who is pedigreed and raised in an 
incubator and hatched from an artificial egg. She marries 
a count and pays all his debts for twenty-seven years back 
and repairs his ancient castle walls. 

But he falls in love with another American beauty 
and she is divorced. Moneyless, titleless, she returns to 
America. 

Ah, worldy ambition! what a glorious cheat. 

Military Ambition. 

Though Alexander conquered the world at thirty-two 

And cut the Gordian knot, 
His inside foe was his Waterloo — 



He died a drunken sot. 



74 

GIDEON\S BAND 



In looking at the tombs of the great, we come to a 
great tomb. We gaze at that magnificent tomb fit to 
be the tomb of some heathen god, Jupiter or Mars. It is 
the tomb of Napoleon, the most extraordinary general 
in the annals of time, perhaps. "He worshiped no god but 
Ambition, and with an Eastern devotion he bowed at the 
shrine of his idolatry.'^ 

We behold him with a very great army before Moscow 
on the plains of Russia. That great city is wrapped in 
flames and Napoleon's army is left without shelter or food, 
to freeze and starve. But he gathers up another army. 
He fights that great battle of Waterloo and is taken pris- 
oner. He is guarded on the island of St. Helena. Now 
he walks to the shore and gazes out on that sad and solemn 
sea toward his native land. He no doubt thinks of those 
lines from Grey's elegy: "The boast of heraldry, the 
pomp of power — all that beauty, all that wealth ere gave, 
await alike the inevitable hour; the paths of glory lead 
but to the grave." Ah! The ambition to rule by the 
sword — what a glorious cheat! 

Worldly Wisdom. 

Solomon by his wisdom acquired great riches, seven 
hundred wives and three hundred concubines. He said 
the rivers flow into the sea, but it is never full.; fire is 
never satisfied; the grave never cries "enough." So it is 
with a man striving for worldly wisdom. Solomon says: 
it is vanity and vexation of spirit. He says: "Fear God 
and keep his commandments, for it is the whole duty of 
man." Ah! Worldly wisdom — v/hat a glorious cheat! 

Ambition for Riches. 

Many have striven to excel others in wealth and have 
failed. Then the nervous strain has furrow^ed the brow 
with care and destroyed all the beauty there; caused them 
to use all kinds of intoxicants till nothing satisfied. 

What does it profit a man to gain the world and not 
be able to enjoy it V He would be like a man lying on the 
bank of the great Hudson river and dying for the want of 
vrater. 

Riches Do Not Satisfy. . 

Tha rich man never cries "enough." Should he reach 



75 
GIDEON^S BAND 



the pearly gates he'd form a trust on light and tie up 
all the roads to heaven. So long as he lives here, he keeps 
trying to get a corner on something till Patan gets a 
corner on h:m. And after he has played his last card 
on Wall Street he lays himself down and feeds himself 
to the worms as inglorious as the beggar he spurns on the 
street. Ah! The allurements of riches — what a glorious 
cheat! 

Model Ambition. 

Daniel said: "The God of heaven shall set up a 
kingdom on earth and it shall break in pieces all other 
kingdoms, and stand forever." 

Let us inquire into the history of this mighty kingdom 
which started on Pentecost and is to break in pieces all 
other kingdoms. 

Christ, who was sent to be the king, Vvas led by the 
spirit into the wilderness. "Fasting forty days, he was 
an hungered. Then Satan taketh Him up into an exceed- 
ing high mountain and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of 
the earth and the glory of them, and saith: ^All these 
things will I give Thee if Thou wilt fall down and worship 
me.' Then saith Jesus unto him: ^Get thee behind Me, 
Satan.' " 

"For it is written thou shalt worship the Lord, thy 
God, and Him only shalt thou serve." 

Christ was hungry and had not where to lay his head, 
and the devil offered him all the kingdoms of the earth, 
but Christ turned them all down. 

All persons are tempted by the riches and fame of 
this vvorld. How many church members have turned all 
those allurements of ambition down? 

But Christ by His higher wisdom could see the world 
as it really is and not as it seems to be to those who are 
blind to the divine light. 

Christ could see that by ambition Caesar crossed the 
Rubicon and eventually fell at the foot of Pompey's sta- 
tue. Christ said: "To be a king was I borxi." To be a 
king over the spiritual hearts of men. People are to be 
come more spiritual before that great day. Secular 
churches are to fade away. The little stone (0. B. C.) is 
to become larger and larger while its members are 
calling: "Come, ye wretched, poor and needy, sick, in 
prison, naked, blind — come ye that have that aching void. 



76 

GIDEON^S BAND 



This world can never fill, or tonics ever tone, or pleasure 
ever satisfy. Come buy wine and milk without money and 
without price." 

Wherefore do you spend your money for that which 
is not bread and your labor for that which satisfieth not. 

"HarJ en diligently unto Me and eat ye that which is 
good and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 

"Ye shall go forth in peace and the mountains and 
hills shall break forth into singing and shouting." That 
aching void shall be liiled. 

Why should we strive for vain things — popularity, 
great riches, or why should we wade through slaughter 
to a throne and shut the gates of mercy on mankind? 

Vvhere now is the belle of Gideonville who spends all 
her time chasing the bubble of pleasure ? Her beauty will 
fade away in a few short seasons. Her ear cannot be 
attuned; music hath lost her charms. There is emptiness 
in everything — no soul in anything. Everything is sound- 
ing brass, the tinkling of little bells. 

Yes, ii:' she have no inward adorning of the soul, in 
a short time will become the old hag of Gideonville. 

Ah, then, vain world, vain world, we bid you a last 
and long farewell; and seeking the kingdom of God, we 
hear the welcome plaudits: "Come, thou good and faith- 
ful servant; enter into the joy of the Lord." Shake hands 
with Moses and Elijah and the circle join. This is model 
ambition. 

After the exhibition, the professor and his wife went 
home with James and Edith. Edith said to the professor: 
"What belle did you have reference to in your lecture?" 
"That's just like a woman," said he. "I had no reference 
to any particular one. What I said applies to all the belles 
in all the countries of the world." 

Said she: "You were once the dude of Gideonville 
and I was the belle, but I have become tired of the fash- 
ionable life. Social intercourse has lost its glamour. I've 
seen the same show too often, heard the same songs and 
jokes till they fail to amuse me. I'm on the verge of the 
land of boredom. I'm losing my love for the plaudits of 
the world. 

"James and I are going to sell out our stores and lead 
the simple life." 

Sixth Day Friday. 

They marched around Jericho once as usual, but as 



77 
GIDEON'S BAND 



they could not all get into their church, they marched 
into the Iscariot church. This church was large, with 
three rooms — kitchen, dining room and theater room. They 
worshiped in the theater room. 

In one corner of the room was a pulpit two feet long- 
by one foot wide and three feet high, for the preacher. 
An elevated platform twenty-five feet long was used by the 
choir and players. The congregation would not sing. They 
were afraid the choir would make fun of them. They had 
no preacher at this time. The rich members had moved 
away. They were becoming cold and when Orlando died 
they decided to deed the church to Gideon's band. 

The lot on which the church was built once belonged to 
Gideon's band and by the terms of the deed they had no 
right to build a church on the lot. 

Gideon preached from the text, "Offend Not a 
Brother." They sang the following song while marching 
around the room: 

Says Paul, "I'll eat no meat at all. 
Says Paul, "I'll eat no meat at all. 
Should it offend a brother 
For whom Christ prayed and died." 

Keep out all innovations 

Keep out all innovations 

And offend not a brother, 

For whom Christ prayed and died. 

Weaken not or cause to stumble. 
Vveaken not or cause to stumble. 
Destroy not one precious soul. 
For whom Christ prayed and died. 

Temple of Babel on Fire. 

As they were marching, someone opened the door and 
said there was a large fire in town. Deacon Voss broke 
the circle at the door and they all marched outside. It 
was across the Tulano river in Jericho. The Temple of 
Babel, as it was called, was on fire. It resembled several 
houses put together — ells and lean-tos, steep and flat roofs 
slanting in all directions. There were so many flues that 
some thought they might have been out of order or that 
soot might have been afire. Dinner was served at twelve 
o'clock in the temple. 



78 

GIDEON'S BAND 

Second Supposed Cause of the Fire. 

They had divided so often that in some of the isms 
there were only about four members. These four having 
a room to themselves could not agree. Each one of the 
four wished to rue the other three. 

"He that would be your master let him be your ser- 
vant" they did not heed. 

Third Supposed Cause. 

Two girls were applicants for a position of playing 
on their fine musical instrument. The girl with rich 
friends got the position and ridiculed the other girl. Some 
thought the girl's brother burnt the church. 

Fourth Supposition. 

The choir belonged to a euchre club which met in the 
basement of the church. One-tenth of the money won by 
gambling went to the church. The choir thought that 
they w^ere the whole thing and the remainder of the wor- 
ship was merely a joke of the clergy. The rector refused 
to let them have this room. 

The "Mighty Electric'' Hat Sold. 

Friday morning a remarkable event happened. Some 
agents from New York stopped to see James and Edith. 
They wanted to buy their patent to the "mighty electric" 
hat. Irene Castleton had gone to New York with her 
"mighty electric" hat. 

The fashionable set of New York determined to buy 
the "mighty electric" hat patent, no matter what it cost. 
Hence thev sent their agent to Gideonville. They bought 
the patent by paying a very large sum of money. 

James then bought all Jericho and all the farms west 
of th- Tulano. 

Albert Culison and Alice Morgan. 

On tomorrow, Saturday, the last day of the funeral, 
Albert and Alice were to be married at about four p. m. 

Home of a Pretty Girl. 

Albert had dreaded to tell his parents because they 
had in the past hated the 0. B. C, but he determined 



79 
GIDEON'S BAND 



to tell them this morning. After breakfast he told them 
he was going to get married tomorrow. They told him to 
sit down and tell them all about his courtship as they 
were not going to oppose his marriage. 

He said: ''You know the first year Professor Morgan 
taught here? Well, he brought his sister to school with 
him. She was a fine looking girl and I had a great desire 
to see where so much beauty dwelt. Professor Morgan 
had a wife and little children but he lived with his father 
and mother. Grandpa Pete was his father. Professor 
Morgan went home every Friday evening. The great and 
burning question with me was, hov/ could I influence 
him to invite me to go home with him? I presented him 
every morning the finest apple I could find in our cellar. 
The lirst rule in a school, you know, is to love your teacher. 
I loved him before I saw the girl and after I saw the girl 
I had an ax to grind and I certainly spread it on thick. 
I even acted as detective in the school and he never gave 
me av/ay. We were great confidenial friends. How 
happy I v>^as when he invited me to go home with him and 
stay all night. 

As we vere nearing the house we could see Uncle 
Pete on the porch, playing with his grandchildren. The 
professor's mother was standing in the door and as her 
son entered the door the hand of that mother came down 
on her son's shoulder in love and benediction, conferring 
on him the greatest degree a mother can confer on a son. 
Not a Masonic degree or university D. D., but far greater. 
It was the knighthood of the fifth commandment. 

His wiie was in the kitchen getting supper and from 
what I heard in there and what I saw when he came 
out — the prints of her floured hands on his shoulder — I 
knew she m.ust have conferred on him another degree. But 
with all this happiness around me, I was forlorn and dis- 
consolate because I had not found that pretty girl. 

I made an excuse co see the stock, hoping to see her 
milking. 

I saw her and the boys driving up the cows, playing 
and singing a hymn that struck a responsive chord in me, 
which vibrated and vibrates this morning. And when I 
heard that song I felt as happy and secure from harm as 
I felt years ago when I laid my head in my mother's lap. 

The sun was just setting, apparently in a mountain 
of gold. The moon rose slowly and the stars looked down 
on a home v/orthv to be decorated by the heavens. 



80 

GIDEON^S BAND 



That young mother called us in to supper with a 
music in her voice that can be felt but no tongue can ex- 
press. After supper the children gathered round Grandpa 
Pete's lap and he read and prayed for their simple 
country home, for his neighbors, enemies and for me. 

Then I knew why so much beauty resided in Uncle 
Pete's home." 

Rev. Culison said: ^'What God has joined together, 
let not man put asunder." Said his wife: "Amen." 

Seventh Day — Saturday. 

The bell began tolling at six a. m. Many had camped 
on the ground and the procession began to form on the 
east bank of the Tulano. They met in a grove, the church 
not being large enough. 

The procession reached around Jericho and back to 
the grove. They marched around Jericho five times and 
camped for dinner. After dinner they marched around 
Jericho two times and into the grove, headed by Gideon 
and all the veterans who had crossed the sea to establish 
a purer shrine. When they entered the grove and pinned 
their crepe to the twigs of every tree, it looked like a 
forest of weeping willows, with dark foliage and thus na- 
ture herself seemed to enter into the spirit of the funeral. 

It was almost as dark as twilight. The veterans took 
seats in front. Then Ike, Daniel and Elder Goodman 
came in, followed by Gideon, who went in the pulpit be- 
hind the crepe to pray. 

Things looked ominous for some great thing to hap- 
pen. Uncle Sam led by singing "How Firm a Foundation." 
Then all knelt in silent prayer. It surpassed a funeral. 
If some had come to laugh and mock they were overawed 
by the sublimity of the occasion. Then they sang the 
following: 

That Which Having, We Possess All. 

There's a great secret told by Paul 

Which having, we possess all. 

That hidden spirit's power comes down, 

Which is of creation crown 

And key to the world. Hast thou that key? 

The world is thine; she smiles for thee. 

Though others may hold the title 

It's a fee simple. 



81 
GIDEON'S BAND 



There's a great secret told by Paul 
Which having, we possess all. 
But with none of that wealth on hand 
No mortal ever can stand. 
He may run well for a while 
When given by the world a smile, 
But when misfortunes o'ertake him, 
Pained by every whim. 

Old Bunyon lived in a dungeon, 
The joys of earth he had none; 
But he had that secret told by Paul 
V\ hich having, he possessed all. 
Far away from the surging crowds 
In visions, above the clouds. 
There he wrote that 'Tilgrims' Progress'^ 
Peerless and fadeless. 

In the state of prosperity. 
Also in adversity, 
Old Job, with constancy so rare. 
Did for the evil days prepare — 
with his great storage battery 
Maintained his integrity. 
He had that secret told by Paul 
Having possessed all. 

There's a great secret told by Paul 
Which having we possess all. 
A hidden spring of love divine 
Fills, blesses this heart of mine. 
Why should I strive for vain glory, 
The gilded bubbles of folly, 
Since His cup of blessings run o'er? 
I ask for no more. 

After singing "The Storage Battery," Albert and 
Alice were married. 

There arose an old man who came forward and shook 
hands with Gideon. He was heavily veiled so that few 
knew him until he began speaking and crying. This was 
Rev. Culison as he was called. He said he'd been wrong 
in divMing Gideonville church and he'd come to join the 
Hero band and v/ork for her cause. His words uttered 
so sublime and sympathetic, o'ercame the pride and party 



82 

GIDEON'S BAND 



zeal till women wept, and as he alluded so touchingly to his 
children, even old men wept. 

Then all the Christians sang: 

This is the way I long have sought 
And mourned because I found it not. 
There'll be no more, no more sorrow. 
Behold! Behold all things are new. 
Behold old things have passed away — 
There'll be no more, no, no more death. 

This warmed up Uncle Gideon and his old time vigor 
returned, thank God. The old gray-haired veteran comes 
forward once more to deliver God's message to the world. 
Long had he labored but his grace was sufficient and he 
rejoiced that he was able through Christ like Sampson 
to pull down the pillars which upheld the temple of Ism. 

Sermon and Fall of Jericho. 

Text: ''The glory which Thou gavest me I have given 
them that they may be one." 

Points. 

Do divisions exist? 
Is union practicable? 
Reasons for union. 
Marks of a true member. 
Marks that are not reliable. 
Charity — true mark. 
Union — v/hat is an ism? 

Do Divisions Exist ? 

If divisions do not exist why did Christ pray for His 
followers to be one. 

He must have had reference to a material manifes- 
tation of union. Otherwise it would not influence the 
world to believe on Him, as the carnal mind can not under- 
stand the things of the spirit. 

As proven, there is in reality no division of the spirit 
body. Then the question is asked: Is there any divi- 
sion of Christians .'' Yes, in their opinions on mysteries 
and material things used as instruments in the worship 
which do not belong to the 0. B. C. 



83 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Do Divisions Exist Now? 

See Division of Zealites. See also answer to this 
question: Is the O. B. C. Indivisible? 

Certain members of a church in England were put 
in prison for saying mass. Put in dark cells below the 
water level with rats and vermin. They were put in 
prison by members of another T. C. These churches have 
never abolished their creeds. If they w^ere divided then 
they are divided now. 

Only a few years ago isms were like some animals 
that form a circle with their heads on the outside to 
protect themselves. Isms form a circle in like manner 
against the infidel but fight on the inside and kick each 
other to death. 

While traveling w^e came to a town v/hich had three 
churches and not large enough for more than one. The 
pastor of one of these churches was making a great plea 
for union to get members. He had been talking of union 
for several years and had gotten several members on that 
plea. When w^e came there I thought he was a hypocrite, 
because he would not sacrifice anything for union. 

When w^e explained how union could be obtained, he 
opposed all our efforts and I believe he would have died 
broken-hearted if the isms had been united. He was so 
afraid of losing his pulpit. 

There w^ere three pastors in the tow^n. They all 
called on a certain family one day. The father of this 
family belonged to the Old Zealites, the mother to the 
New Zealites, and one boy to the True Zealites. The 
other children were not members. 

These pastors wanted to convert the children. Each 
pastor wanted to get the father and mother on his side. 

To use a figure of speech, these pastors began climb- 
ing each other until they were out of sight in the cloud 
land of metaphysics, splitting theological hairs. 

Blood, dirt and corruption were falling on the heads 
of the Christians and people generally for miles around. 

This is transpiring in all civilized countries till the 
whole world is deluded by the most mighty phantom, fraud, 
fad and fake that was ever palmed off on an over credu- 
lous world. 

So mighty is it, it's called 'The Mystery," ''Baby- 
lon the Great," "The Mother of Corruption" and "Confu- 
sion of Tongues." 



84 

GIDEON^S BAND 

Is Union Practical? 

Divisions being founded on a delusion, union may be 
effected by a removal of that delusion. 

How can that be done? By living a spiritual life 
and engaging in spiritual worship till we ob- 
tain that ancient power — till we obtain a full 
measure of that spirit which is to guide till 
we receive "the-glory-Thou-hast-given-unto-me-I-have-giv- 
en-unto-them-that-they-may-be-one." 

Evidence that it is practical: "And if I be lifted up 
will draw all men unto Me." When men are drawn to 
Christ the center, they will be drawn together. 

It has been said that Christ shall have the heathen for 
His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for 
His possessions. 

The v/ise will not only come from the East but from 
all countries to learn political economy. The greatest 
patriot then will be the man who lives for the good of hu- 
manity, that beats the swords into plowshares. 

Christ will unite the masses and classes; capital and 
labor questions be solved; competition and sectism be de- 
stroyed by the brightness of His coming. 

See i^ig. 3. This illustrates that isms disappear as 
we approach Christ. 

Reasons for Union. 

1. Sectism is a damnable sin classed with the works of 
the flesh. Placed by the side of idolatry, witchcraft, mur- 
der and adultery. Paul closes his enumeration of the works 
of the flesh by this statement: "They who do such things 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.^' 

2. Christ desired that there should be a manifestation 
of union to convince the world. 

The-glory-Thou-gavest-me (the cause) I have given 
them that they may be one (efl'ect). Take the oneness or 
union (the effect) away and you destroy (the cause) the 
Holy Ghost. 

A cause cannot exist without an effect. This is why 
some have not the Holy Ghost. 

When they received the Holy Ghost on the day of 
Pentecost they were all with one accord in one place, 
waiting for the spirit of their Lord. 

Light to Heathen and Infidel. 

3. A life of union cannot be answered. 



GIDEON'S BAND 



r— ' — — — ^ — — — - 



at4tiO//€m^K 




lU 9^ O^J 



85 
GIDEON^S BAND 



Union is as important as conversion as they are in 
the relation of cause and effect.. Hence, without union 
we cannot evangelize the heathen. To illustrate: The 
New Zealites sent missionaries to the heathen. The 
heathen said: "We don't understand your religion. One 
ism says you must be immersed three times face foremost. 
Another says you must be immersed one time backwards. 
A third says you must be sprinkled when but an infant. 
A fourth says you must not be baptized with water, but 
with Holy Ghost. Lost if you do, and lost if you don't. 

From the above, the heathen thinks we are divided. 
But we are merely deluded. It cannot now be determined 
whether in the apostolic age a candidate was dipped one 
time or three times. If its exactness were essential to 
salvation, it would be made so plain by the Bible and spirit 
of truth that a wayfaring man though a fool need not 
err therein. 

Some believe there should be great exactness in the 
observance of the rite of baptism. Doubtless it should 
symbolize the death and burial of the old man and the 
resurrection of the new creature. A confession and mani- 
festation by the candidate to the world that he is initiated 
into the invisible church. 

Explanation to the Heathen. 

But no church administers the rite of baptism as it 
was administered in the apostolic age and for 200 years. 
Candidates were immersed naked. Application of water 
to the skin symbolized the cleansing of the heart and also 
the nakedness of Christ on the cross. In connection with 
baptism, were the imposition of hands, signing with 
sign of cross, exorcism, eating milk and honey and putting 
on w^hite garments after immersion to symbolize the purity 
of the heart. 

Material religions founded on opinions of men in re- 
gard to the mysteries, rites and ceremonies, are certainly 
not authorized by God. 

How could God affirm to some person that there are 
three persons in God and to another that there is only 
one person? The innumerable conflicting beliefs from the 
same God and recriminations of isms, prove that material 
religions are not from above. 

What can be done by the heathen and ourselves? 
Let material things and mysteries alone. Preach nothing 



86 

GIDEON'S BAND 



but the religion of Christ. Establish communication from 
above. The wires are all down. 

In some places are unchartered churches with non- 
commissioned preachers who are not agents of God. Hence 
cannot convert a single soul. ''How can he preach unless 
he be sent?" Yes; but there are devout Christians in 
our church, says one. Yes, in some lodges are Christians, 
but that does not make the lodge a church. 

How does anyone know? The spirit of truth distin- 
guishes between the spirit body and that body of men who 
are merely and only a secular lodge having the form of 
Godliness, but not having the power of the spirit. 

Remarl's. — We here give some modern statistics to 
show we must have union to evangelize our own people: 

Divorces in twenty years from 1888 to 1908 1,300,000 
Divorces in twenty years previous 300,000 

Amount of liquor used per capita in United States in: 



1840 4 gallons 

1860 6. gallons 



1883 12 gallons 

1909. 22 gallons 



At above rate of increase, in 1950 we v/ill U3e 00 
gallons per capita per annum in United States. 

Membership cf All Churches. 



In 


1800 


one 


member 


to 


15 


outsiders 


In 


1850 


one 


member 


to 


10 


outsiders 


In 


1900 


one 


member 


to 


5 


outsiders 


In 


1910 


one 


member 


to 


3 


outsiders 



In 1950 all members to outsiders 

At same rate, in 1950 all persons will be church mem- 
bers. 

This v/ill be a remarkable time — all persons in United 
States becoming church members and drinking fifty gallons 
per capita per annum. 

4. Union would prevent war. 

5. Money spent on sectarian church houses, papers and 
theological colleges, etc., would feed the worthy and send 
the gospel to every man on the earth. 

6. Ten commandments violated by the isms: 

First and second commandments as one: The Old 



87 
GIDEON^S BAND 



Zealites and the New Zealites believed in the god of war. 
Mars. 

Third commandment: The creed of the New Zealites 
calls the earthly head of the Old Zealites anti-Christ. 
Hence, this creed, to the Old Zealites, is blaspheming. 

The seven remaining isms don't believe in kings and 
earthly heads. Hence, using God's name in ordaining 
heads and kings is taking God's name in vain. 

Fourth commandment: Sabbath used for feasting and 
taking care of secular affairs. 

Fifth commandment: Christ said this was violated. 

Sixth: Violated by burning at the stake. 

Seventh commandment: The Modern Zealites believed 
in free love; True Zealites in community of wives. An 
impure church has been called the mother of harlots. 

Eighth commandment: The True Zealites believed in 
slavery. This takes the work of some one as your own. 
Hence, it is stealing. 

Ninth commandment: The isms are continually bear- 
ing false testimony against each other. 

Tenth commandment: Some isms compete with each 
other for the finest church house and greatest popu- 
larity. 

7. Divisions are founded on the carnal nature. If a 
man has a pet sin, he organizes an ism to take it in. 

8. Sectism has persecuted in many ways. 

9. Sectism has within itself the germs of its own dis- 
solution. 

Suppose our constitution allowed each state to divide 
till each man set up a government of his own — no law, all 
chaos. 

Where would the governor of the United States be? 
Our constitution would have the germs of its own dissolu- 
tion. How could it protect and hand itself down to all 
posterity? The same may be said of the church. 

10. Love the cause; union the effect. Where there's 
no union, there's no love. No love, no charter. 

11. Sectism as claimed by superintendents of insane 
asylums is the greatest cause of insanity. 

12. Sectism cause of divorce. 

Marks of a True Member Are Charily and Union. 

Counterfeit money causes genuine money to depre- 



88 

GIDEON^S BAND 



ciate in value if the counterfeit can't be detected. The 
same may be said of churches and their members. 

To illustrate: A quack was selling a kind of salve. 
A dog nearby was barking at a snake, and the dog's master, 
a boy, was cutting wood. This boy came up and in killing 
the snake cut the dog's tail off. He brought the dog 
and tail over to the quack. He put some salve on the 
stump of the tail left on the dog and some on the tail that 
was cut off A new tail grew on the dog, and also a new 
dog grew on the tail that was cut off. By means of a 
mirror he showed that there were two dogs. 

Says the quack he is a benefactor who can m_ake 
two blades of grass grow where only one grew before. 
He made $25 that day and he continued from day to day 
grafting the people as well as the dogs. But genuine 
salve could not be sold. Hence, how to distinguish the 
true from the false becomes important. 

A tree is known by its fruit. The fruit of a true 
member is described by nine words: love, joy, etc. 
Paul says: "Now abideth faith, hope and charity, but the 
greatest of these is charity * =^ * Though I bestow all my 
goods to feed the poor (as some rich men do) and though 
I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it prof- 
iteth me nothing * -^ * If ye love not your enemies, what 
do ye more than others?" 

Marks That Are Not Reliable. 

An experience of conversion told in public — This can 
be done by hypocrites. 

Paying the preacher— -This is often done by sinners. 

Fine public prayer — Anyone can commit a prayer to 
memory. 

Attending church — People attend church for various 
reasons. 

These things will not convince the world. 

What Is the True Mark? 

Answer: Charity and its effect — union. 
Christ desired union that the world might believe that 
He was sent. 

Union — How Obtained. 

To have union we must realize that the church is a 



89 

GIDEON'S BAND 



spirit body. It must be governed and carried on as such. 

A T. C. has a material head that dictates a certain 
kind of worship. It can't unite with another T. C. This 
is proven by church history. 

Why? Answer: Isms are delusions. One truth will 
unite with another. But delusions will not unite. An ism 
is an imaginary classification of men according to their 
religious delusions which they call doctrine. 

The first thing in order to have union is conversion. 
Thus the spiritial hearts of persons become a spirit bddy. 

Notice how perfect is the union of the members 
or organs of our body. When a member becomes deranged 
how swiftly the sensation flies to the head of the body. 
The head replies by sending nutriment to the body. But 
if that member becom^es too much decayed it must be re- 
moved. In like manner in the spirit body a prayer is 
sent to the head. In reply a balm for every wound is 
sent. But if some member is weak should it be cast out? 
No; those Peters who are greatly blessed and richly en- 
dowed should strengthen the weak. 

Crippled and Tender-Hearted Members. 

Remember that some members have crippled brains 
as well as crippled bodies. Then remember that some 
have such tender hearts that a cross word would kill or 
hurt them or cause them to be cold toward you. 

V/ould you offend a member of your own body? If 
more nerve power comes to the eye than the ear, can 
the eye complain of the ear being dull of hearing? No. 
In a spirit body there should be no selfishness. 

Ridicule in the Spirit Body. 

Y.hen you, a member of the spirit body, attempt to 
do something for the church the devil will be there. 
Your motive Vvdll be misunderstood and some member of 
the spirit body will ridicule you. 

They made fun of Christ. They made fun of Noah. 
But he kept on building an ark. So you should keep on 
building an ark that will save the same fellows that made 
fun of you. Thus you will heap coals of fire on their heads. 

Don't get mad at a person belonging to your church 
v/hen he don't know any better. Anger begets anger 
and poisons the secretions of the organs, but love begets 



90 

GIDEON^S BAND 



love and gives life to the secretions. No; you should not 
get mad at a member of your spirit body because he has 
a defect in his mind or strong temper. You should say 
this: "God has done more for me. He's given me a 
strong mind. I'll have pity on that poor, deformed mind." 
You should say: "Vm a strong-minded Peter and Christ 
is ever saying, ^Feed my lambs.' " 

What human response do we hear to this: "Peter, 
lovest thou Me. Feed my lambs." When they wander 
from the fold. When they scatter in the mountains. When 
wolves in sheeps' clothing come down upon the fold. When 
the wintry storms rage. When the darkness of night 
comes on. "Peter, feed my lambs." 

When the church becomes contentious and each one 
tries to rule, behold they are carnal now and filled with 
selfish pride. They're poor, hungry and naked. "Feed my 
lambs." 

"Feed my lambs," Christ would say, "on the true 
bread of life till they hunger no more. They are now in 
the desert living on husks. Blow now the bugle — blow 
until striking responsive chords, 'tis echoed from soul 
to soul till all enjoy the feast of the soul. Till Peter 
feeds all My lambs 'round one common table." 

I can now see and feel and know that in Gilead there 
is a balm. Some Peter feeds His bleating lambs. 

All that wish to join this circle of union come up 
while we join in singing "The Fall of Jericho." 

They sang this chorus first soft, low and pleadingly: 

FIRST CHORUS: 

Unite, unite; you have nothing 

That you can lose but delusion. 

Arid you've a world for Christ to gain — 

The infidel and heathen world. 

And going on and on and on 

And going on and on and on 

Till Peter feeds, till Peter feeds 

All His dear lambs 'round one table. 

Above the song you could hear old Uncle Gideon 
calling, "Come on, come on; come join this circle of union. 
Jehova has commanded his people to be united. Come on 
his orders to obey. The woman on eagle wings will re- 
turn from the wilderness. Old Babel's walls are crumb- 



91 
GIDEON^S BAND 



ling now. Old Jericho v/ill fall and she will fall today. 
'How?' Vanquished by the sword of the spirit of love 
and truth. 

James and Edith were the first to come up. Then the 
bride and bridegroom . 

Ye elders sanctify this band; 
Like Joshua, we'll take this land. 
This Jerichoan v/all can't stand 
Because it's founded on the sand. 
Together we shall march around, 
Together we shall step the ground; 
Together we shall soon drive out 
And put the Babelites to rout. 

The horns shall sound, the saints shall shout. 

And faith shall triumph over doubt. 

Thus by our united action 

This world for Christ can all be won. 

A spirit union was designed; 

To us the great work was assigned. 

Then will you lay your strife aside 

And in Christ's word alone abide. 

And tear down that ancient babel 
And build alone on the Bible 
A mighty spiritual tow^er 
That would unite ail by its powder. 
The castes, the aged and the young, 
Would altogether speak one tongue. 
In that living temple of man, 
The native tongue of Canaari. 

SECOND CHORUS 

A-tenting on that old camp ground, 
A-tenting on that old camp ground. 
Many white-robed with jewels crowned, 
Once tented on that old camp ground. 
If you are one of that great band, 
Of that great Restoration band — 
Then here's my heart and here's my hand. 
I belong to that band. Halleluyah! 



92 



GIDEON'S BAND 



You could still hear Gideon above the song call- 
ing, '*Come on, come on! Yes, we belong to that band 
and we have for a leader the same Lord who led Israel 
through the Red Sea with a high hand and an outstretched 
arm. 

Then James and Edith came up and presented the 
O. B. C. a deed to all Jericho. Old Uncle Samuel Goodman, 
the two Voss deacons and four veteran elders from Smith- 
ton took their old horns that they had used so much in 
Scotland, and blew them seven times. 

The last time they prolonged the sound till it echoed 
and died far away in the hills beyond the Tulano river. 
Then Gideon jumped up and down like a boy and there was 
a great shout in Israel and the symbolical walls of old 
Jericho fell flat to the ground. Then all the Iscariot 
Zealites came pouring in and all Jericho came up and 
grounded their arms. 

Their petty differences were forgotten while their 
hearts melted together into a spirit union. 

Gideon continued to exhort: "Come out from her! 
O my people, pitch your tent on the old camping ground! 
Those who refuse to unite cannot receive the Holy Ghost. 
If you don't unite you can't convert the heathen. If you 
don't unite, you are under condemnation." 

Ike wrote on a fly leaf of his hymn book: 'They have 
all joined," and handed it to Gideon. Then they all en- 
gaged in singing "The Old Fashioned Religion is Good 
Enough for Me." 

The paradise like that before the fall of man, a spir 
itual communion with God, was now restored. 

Christ, the great Restorationist, came to destroy the 
T. C. He set up His 0. B. C. but blindness and a falling 
away happened in the dark ages and paradise was lost. 
Now it was regained and for many years they lived in 
love, peace and joy, preferring not another. 

Restoration ot 180y 

In the morn of the Restoration 
Was discovered the foundation 
The only basis for union, 



93 

GIDEON^S BAND 



God^s volume of inspiration. 

"On the Bible alone we stand," 

Says Barton Stone and his great band. 

"Where it speaks, we speak," says Campbell. 

Bibles, Bibles, creeds are fables. 

Hear the knell rung by the gospel, 

Come out from isms, O my people! 

Pitch your tent on the old camping ground. 

Let love and unity abound. 

Hark! The clashing, jarring, fighting. 

Barring the doors and all crying. 

See the great illumination 

From the words of inspiration. 

For years the State and Church combined 

And v/as built by the carnal mind 

A great tower of Babel, so high 

Its stairway reached into the sky. 

Then nations worshiped at its shrine. 

And claimed it surely was divine. 

But who with that builder can vie 

Who builds beyond the starry sky. 

For God's true temple here is man. 

Built after His wonderful plan. 

And in that temple an altar 

On which by faith he may offer 

His life, his service and his prayer 

For those who would strife engender. 

Yes, pray for that man's delusion 

¥/ho, from party, zeal, devotion. 

Comes to our small town of Smithville, 

Contrary to God's prayer and will. 

With his dogma and catechism — 

Divides our church to build an ism. 

Bye and bye the good old laymen 

Who wish to save all the children. 

Organize a good union school. 

Using no catechism or rule. 

But v/hen the pastor finds it out 

How he will draw the line and shout. 

"What shall I say in my report? 

I cannot hold this Ismite fort. 

For God's word is a Gibraltar. 

We're children taught 'round her altar." 

Then in this small town of Smithville, 

There'd be but one pulpit to fill. 



94 

GIDEON'S BAND 



When is this mighty confusion 
Of that great mystery, Babylon, 
The glory of Christ was given 
To his servants who had striven 
To tear down that ancient Babel 
And build alone on the Bible 
A mighty spiritual tower 
That would unite all by its power; 
Bring back the paradise of man, 
His home, his native Canaan. 

Shall We Have a Choir? 

One day a man from the city. George Legion, joined 
the 0. B. C. He had worshiped in the city with a choir. 

Said George to James: "Let us organize a choir 
and be in style with the city folks.'' 

Said James: ''Choir singing should be abolished, be- 
cause it prevents congregational singing. Members in 
the congregation do not sing or worship but merely look 
on as though it were a theatrical performance. 

''To correct this habit of the members, choir singing 
should be abolished and also worldly tunes. I believe in 
chanting or singing in that tone of voice necessary to 
express the spirit and understanding of the song." 

George: "0, we have a larger audience and hence 
get more money for our church when we pass the hat. 
VVe also get more members." 

James : "W ould this be worshiping God or the world ? 
Yes, you can get more members, but not as many con- 
verted members." 

Holding theaters and worshiping at the same time 
and place is like holding a Republican caucus in one 
end of a room and a Democratic caucus in the other end 
of the same room at the same time. It becomes offensive. 

\v'hy not have religious scenes acted out in a separate 
room and the money thus made given to the church? 

James was an anti-harper, choir, hymn book. George 
was a pro-harper. 

Elder Ike — An Anti-Offensive Harper. 

He said all things were good per se. But when used 
for bad purposes were bad, as corn made into whisky. 

George and James went out to ijee Ike because 
he and Uncle Samuel Goodman were the first elders, and 
always agreed on church matters. 



95 
GIDEONVS BAND 



Elder Ike: "The choir attracts too much attention 
from the worship. Non-members are put in the choir. 
It resembles a singing school more than worshipers. A 
slight mistake in the pitch will cause a low laugh, thus 
showing that their minds are not on the spirit of the song. 
But we are commanded to sing with the spirit. My sent- 
ence, then, is that as a matter of discipline, we should have 
no choirs.'' 

Should Harps Be Used? 

The Israelites used harps. 

The O. B. C. at Earlton decided to unite the Christians 
and destroy the isms. They asked the 0. B. C. at Gideon- 
ville to help them. 

George was in James Voss's store one day and saw 
he had several harps for sale. George did love music. 
George says: "Brother James, why not sell these harps 
to the church? We can play on them as we march 'round 
Earlton. You know the Israelites used harps. Notably 
David, who played for Saul to drive the evil spirits away." 

James: "Before Christ, the church was political. 
They celebrated a victory with harps. We are now living 
in a spiritual church. God permitted things to be done 
by the state church of the Jews, but from the beginning 
they were not right." 

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, let him give her 
a writing of divorcement. Christ says this is wrong and 
was not so from the beginning, but was permitted on ac- 
count of the hardness of their hearts. God did not want 
a king to rule over Israel. Polygamy and war were per- 
mitted but from the first they were wrong. Hence it 
follov/s that a thing is not right just because it was per- 
mitted by God." 

Harps in Heaven. 

George: "Well, Brother James, what do you think 
of harps being used in heaven? They must be holy if 
used there. 

James: "Yes; they can be made holy. This earth 
will be made holy but it is not now. To the holy all 
things are holy. Corruption puts one in corruption before 
we reach heaven. 



96 

GIDEON'S BAND 

"God swore by himself. An angel sv/ore that time 
shall be no longer. Christ said, ^Swear not at all.' Then 
angels do things which men must not do. Because angels 
play on golden harps is no reason we should." 

Harp Used in the Home. 

James wouldn't allow his harp to be used during 
family worship in his home. He would not even allow it 
in the room where they w^orshiped. 

Right or Wrong Not Decided by Majority Vote. 

George: "You know a large majority of our members 
are in favor of the harp. Don't you think a majority 
should rule?" 

James: '*vVe don't take into our church a person as 
a member by majority vote. We ask for objections. We 
should do the same with the harp. 

"We believe with Zwingli that the words of inspira- 
tion in the New Testament are our constitution. Where 
they speak, w^e speak. Where they are silent, we are 
silent. There is no authority for majority rule. Matthias 
v/as selected as an apostle in the place of Judas, not by a 
majority vote but by lot. They prayed and then cast their 
lot. 

"Think of a church in which three-fourths of its mem- 
bers are unconverted and yet ruled by majority vote — that 
is, ruled by sinners. Thus ruled, a church could bring in 
any kind of an innovation, no matter how evil it might 
be. And they would do so to make the service enjoyable, 
because an hour of real worship to an unconverted mem- 
ber is the most unhappy period of his life." 

George: "If we can't agree why can't we divide? 
Others are dividing. We should progress and keep up 
with the style. We could have three churches: 0. B. 
C. H., O. B. C. A. H. and O. B. C. A. O. H." 

James: "We can't divide for several reasons: 

"1. The most sublime part of our character is our 
plea for union. 

"Union is prima facie evidence of the indwelling of 
the Holy Ghost. By division our character is taken away. 
We started out to bring about a union. But should we di- 
vide and continue to make our plea for union, all the 
isms would cry out, 'Heal thy self.' 

"Take the mote out of thine own eye. Unite thy 



97 
GIDEON'S BAND 



own self and then when thy centennial rolls 'round, 
wilt thou have something to celebrate besides failures. 

"We have taught and now do teach that divisions are 
deadly sins. Are they so heavenly when committed by 
us?" ^ 

The True Shepherd. 

Two women claimed the same child. Solomon pro- 
posed to divide the child. The true mother said: "Don't 
do so, but give it to the other woman." Solomon said: 
"Behold the true mother." 

A man filled with the spirit of Christ says: "Don't 
let the 0. B. C. divide." 

The hireling sings: "Amazing grace and love di- 
vine demands my life, my all. Dear Lord, I give myself 
to thee; 'tis all that I can do." But he will not turn his 
hand over to keep the church from dividing. He has 
never bathed in the full ocean of His wondrous love. 

Idol of a Harp. 

Dividing the church for a harp; losing his soul for a 
harp. Loving an inanimate thing more than Christ, His 
cause and union to convert the heathen. He has rebelled 
against the agreement that where the Bible speaks, we 
speak; and where it is silent we are silent, and are not 
to bring into the church any innovations that may bring 
on another dark age. 

George: "Well, I had not thought of divisions in 
that way; let us go over and see Uncle Ike. 

They asked Ike. 

Don't Divide. 

Elder Ike: "Don't divide before the enemy. If your 
dearest friend had a weakness, would you publish it? 
No. Tell it not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of 
Askelon.' Perish the thought before it is ever uttered, 
lest the Zealites fatten on the spoils of our 0. B. C. Keep 
together. Dividing settles nothing. Wait awhile. The 
spirit of truth is coming. It will guide you in all things 
that appertain to the spiritual welfare of the 0. B. C. It 
will guide Christians all the same way. Notice the word 
^comforter' is always in the singular number. Hence, if 
the spirit tells persons differently it's not the spirit of 



98 

GIDEON'S BAND 



truth, but the spirit of delusion — the devil." 

Then the second elder, Daniel, came up and they all 
went over to see Gideon, who had just returned. 

Advice of Gideon. 

"We should be on the safe side, where there is danger 
of losing both soul and body. If harps cause offense and 
division we are not safe from the condemnation of Christ, 
who has said, ^He that offends the least of these, my 
brethren, it were better if a millstone were hanged about 
his neck' But it's perfectly safe to worship without the 
harp. 

''If any leave this church it can't be said we divided, 
but they left because they were not of us. They can't 
say we offended them by keeping the harp out. 

"The word 'offend' as used by Christ and Paul has a 
certain meaning. It means doing anything whereby thy 
brother is made weak in the faith. To illustrate: There 
is an hour set apart for worship. The members meet to 
worship. A grafter offends by using the hour in grafting 
the church. Another offends by trying to organize another 
ism, by getting up evidence for a law suit, by making a 
display of millinery, or by practice on a harp. 

"The harp is offensive because unlike the voice, it 
can't express the emotions or states of the spirit. Religion 
only belongs to a spirit. The harp is like sounding brass 
and tinkling symbol. In apostolic times persons would 
come to the communion table to eat rather than to co- 
memorate the death of Christ. They were commanded to 
eat at home. 

"I am led to say that we should give each family that 
belongs to the O. B. C. a musical instrument of some 
kind to play at home when no one is worshiping there. 

"They all agreed to stand by the old veteran." 

James then made his deed to the 0. B. C. to read that 
no musical instruments or innovations were to be used in 
the worship when any true member made an objection. 

James gave a harp to each family. George played 
his fine harp at home and came regularly to church to 
hear played on by the spirit, the finest musical instrument 
on earth, made by the great Architect — the human larynx. 

Gideon went home singing: "You well know we must 
be tried, the crown of life to gain. Do not falter or di- 
vide. Go on, go on, go on." 



99 
' GIDEON'S BAND 

Earlton. 

Gideon received word from Earlton to come down and 
help vanquish with the spirit of truth the Babelites. 

He went, and with him three hunrded followers in 
covered wagons and camped near Earlton He had seven 
elders and seven deacons. They met in a cottage to 
sanctify themselves for the contest. 

One deacon who believed that the church should keep 
up with the fashions of the city suggested that they 
should have some instrumental music while marching 
'round Earlton. Said he: "In a dream a great panorama 
passed before me. I could see heaven opened and harpers 
harping. An angel robed in white was sitting on the 
edge of a mountainous cloud of gold, playing on a golden 
harp. She became so entranced and paralyzed by the 
great heights of ecstacy she had reached that she dropped 
the harp. This divine instrument floated to the earth 
on its own music, played by the wind. 

"Great," continued he, "are the harps of heaven. 
The aeolian harps which came from heaven like the statue 
of Diana. 

"Even as David played to keep the devil out of 
King Saul's heart, so -harmony and melody keep evil out 
of heaven." 

They decided to send for a girl that played for the 
Zealites and let her play "The Fall of Jericho." She had 
obtained the position as player by the influence of rich 
parents. She played for popularity and took no interest 
in religion. 

Well, she played "The Fall of Jericho," and when she 
got through not one of the elders or deacons could tell 
whether the walls of Jericho fell or not. It didn't satisfy 
their spiritual hunger. While some wanted harps they 
all wanted union and sanctification and must have union to 
conquer Babel. They all loved the church better than their 
own opinions. Hence, they decided to use nothing but 
horns. Blowing their horns they marched around Earlton 
and to the church where Gideon preached on "The 0. B. C. 

vs. T. C." „ r^, X . ^. 

"Choose ye this day which ye will serve. The Je\vish 
church has passed away. It permitted slavery and advo- 
cated war. It allowed a writing of divorcement. This 
was not right from the beginning, but was allowed on 
account of the hardness of their hearts." ^ 



100 

GIDEON'S BAND 



"Christ has instituted a church that is opposed to war 
and kings who make the church political. 

"The T. C. claim to have an existence in the world 
today. They praise God because He has enabled a few 
of His children to kill some others of His children. They 
assemble and sing Te Deum Lau Damus' to God." 

Notice was sent to all the 0. B. churches that an 
effort would be made to evangelize Earlton. 

They heard the Macedonian cry and came together 
and by their united efforts the curse of ism was removed. 

How to Tell a Truth. 

To prevent isms from forming in Earlton, he gave 
the O. B. C. his rules to determine a truth. 

Beliefs true and false, and material and spiritual 
things he divided into classes and gave a rule for each 
class. Thus the true church is distinguished from other 
things: 

Class 1. The truth including all spiritual things which 
constitute the 0. B. C. 

Rule 1. Separate the light from the darkness. All 
light flows from the Father of light into the 0. B. C, 

If a spirit claiming to be the spirit of truth decides 
for a true Christian one way and for another true Christian 
another and very different way, it is not the spirit of 
light. God is not a God of confusion. 

Infallibility (rule 1) — True Christians made infallible 
when guided by the comforter. 

Apostolicity (class 1) — Went into the wilderness and 
instrumental music introduced, it is said, at the same 
time, 666 A. D. 

Class 2. Things introduced to aid in spiritual worship 
as the body, brain, hymn books, etc. 

Rule 2. All things are good per se and when so com- 
pletely consecrated that they are not offensive to a true 
Christian they may be used in a church, as tuning forks 
and hymn books. 

Class 3. Material things as church house, gas and wood 
which are no part of the O. B. C, but contribute much to 
the comfort of the bodies of those worshiping. 

But suppose the pulpit should be so carved as to 
represent the statue of a certain man and be worshiped, 
it would become offensive and belong to class and rule 6. 



101 
GIDEON'S BAND 



Rule 3. Should the members be divided on these ma> 
terial things, it is not a division of the spirit body or O. 
B. C. 

Class 4. Mysteries. 

Rule 4. We know^ religion by experience, not by reason 
but mysteries can't by known in any way. You can't 
tell the first and last terms of a progression. We are 
not required to know the mysteries. Why, then, have we 
killed Christians because they did not understand them 
as we do? 

And why are we now in a divided condition on ac- 
count of mysteries, as though we understood them and 
synods could fully explain them. 

Let us give some things known from inspiration in 
regard to them. 

Pre-Existence. 

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and 
before thou cameth forth out of the womb I sanctified thee 
and ordained thee a prophet." From this it seems that 
man did not begin vdth this world. 

There can be no religion without immortality, because 
"if Christ be not raised ye are still in your sins." 

There can be no immortality without pre-existence. 
Because a spirit that can never die in the future must 
have been immortal in the past. Therefore, there can 
be no religion without pre-existence. 

Will not this explain the doctrine of election? Is it 
to be supposed that spirits that have lived millions of 
years ago will all be the same morally when born into 
this world? 

Why don't God kill the devil to destroy evil? 

Class and rule 4. "I form the light and create dark- 
ness. I make peace and create evil." Would it not be in- 
consistent for God to create a thing and then destroy it? 
Shall the vessel of clay say to the potter: "Why am I 
a vessel of dishonor?" 

How brief is this present life compared to the eternity 
of years man lived before his birth. He remembers 
nothing of his pre-existence and shall he instruct the 
Almighty to destroy the evil which He has created? 

Why did God create evil? 

We are led to believe it was for man's good — to keep 
him in that narrow path that leads to life. 



102 

GIDEON'S BAND 



The land on this earth is concentrated to the use of 
man. He can't travel from star to star. He can't live 
in water. An attempt to leave that narrow path marked 
out for him is evil. 

There Is Nothing Evil Per Se. 

While the devil remained in that narrow path marked 
out for him he was an angel of light, but he left his first 
estate and this caused evil. 

Let us illustrate: A man steps off a bluff and breaks 
his arm. Is the bluff, darkness or man an evil per se ? 
No. They were all created and declared to be good. 

Corn is not an evil per se, but when made into 
whisky and improperly used becomes an evil. 

"I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that 
there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who esteem- 
eth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." 

"Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them 
that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even 
their mind and conscience is defiledo" 

Y/e have gone far enough to find out three things, 
namely: that (1) nothing is evil per se; (2) that in the 
minds of the pure all things are pure; (3) that evil only 
exists in a defiled mind blinded by sin„ 

Let us look a little farther. The nature of good and 
evil is explained by the words "light" and "darkness." 
Darkness is the absence of light — a nonenity. You say, 
"How, then, can it effect the world?" 

Absolute darkness does not exist on this earth. In 
all darkness there is some light and in all light there is 
some darkness. Delusion is a nonenity but it has caused 
millions to be burned at the stake. 

Why don't God kill the devil to destroy evil? 

From the above investigations we find that God does 
create evil by withholding His light. Then, how foolish 
to kill the devil to destroy evil. It being plain that evil 
is as necessary to keep man in the narrow way in the 
moral Vv^orld as evil is necessary in the political and 
material world. 

Evil is destroyed in man by keeping in the narrow 
way. Keep away from the evils of the world and there 
will be no devil so far as you are concerned. 



103 
^ GIDEON^S BAND 

The Devil to Be Reformed. 

The devil being a spirit could not be killed or annihi- 
lated. 

He will be punished, reformed and become, if history 
repeats itself, an angel of light. "That which has been 
will be." 

Eternity is a panorama on wheels and were we able 
to watch it, we could see the same scenes come 'round. 

How can man walk in the narrow way so that he can 
destroy evil? Ans.: By removing from his heart all 
bad motives, designs and intents. 

How can he tell that he is in the narrow way? Ans.: 
When he departs from the narrow way he has a pleasure 
followed by discomfort, weakness, misery or pain. When 
in the true way, his pleasures are not followed by misery. 
They are unalloyed. 

Can evil be increased or diminished ? Reasoning from 
analogy. 

There is a certain amount of light and darkness in 
the universe and it can't be increased or diminished. It 
is claimed that good and evil in like manner are eternal 
and cannot be increased or diminished. But evil can and 
will be taken from the earth to make a millenium. 

Then good may be taken from the earth to make a 
hell. Hence, evil and good cannot be increased in the uni- 
verse but they can be increased on the earth. 

Class 5. Things which really do not exist, as tra- 
ditional, false types, innovations, religious delusions and 
isms. 

Rule 5. The spirit of truth will not decide in regard 
to things that do not exist. Paul says to those divided: 
"Are ye not carnal?" "The carnal mind is not subject 
to the law of God." Hence an ism founded on carnality 
has no existence in religion. 

Class 6. Things brought into the church for popularity, 
graft or pleasure and loved more than God, man and 
Bible, as a very fine church built with money taken from 
the poor by false pretense. 

Rule 6. "If any man love the world, the love of the 
Father is not in him." . 

Class 7 (Ceremonies). Various shadows substituted 
for their substances. 



104 

GIDEON'S BAND 



Rule 7. Isms, which have all of the shadows but none 
of the substances, are mere nonentities, and non-commis- 
sioned. 

Sermon on Constancy. 

They continued to w^orship in peace. Their spiritual 
hearts continuing to reign over the flesh, sending forth 
pure motives, had a wonderful powder. 

The young members had decided to have a meeting 
of all the veterans and let them talk together of old times. 

Elder Ike w^as selected to preach. They had dinner 
in the woods, cooking their meat in trenches, as in the 
old country. 

iKe asked Gideon how long a sermon ought to be. 
Said Gideon: ^"T heard an Old Zealite preacher who was 
three hours reaching his fifteenth point. But I heard 
another one who had forgotten to put his book of sermons 
in his saddle bags. He gave them Christ's prayer and the 
Sermon on the Mount. This was only about twenty-five 
minutes long. He told the brethren that he would try to 
do better next time. Many told him that he never had 
preached a better sermon. Gideon said that as they had 
no dogmas to preach that they ought to read the Bible and 
explain about ten minutes and then sing and preach about 
forty minutes. 

They met in the grove and sang, 'That Which Hav- 
ing, We Possess All.'' Elder Ike took this text: ''Be Ye 
Steadfast, Unmovable, Always, Abounding in the Work 
of the Lord." 

Said the elder: '* Among our bright examples of 
constancy we will mention the holy martyrs, our veterans, 
Daniel, Job, Bunyon, the five wise virgins. 

''The constancy of all these persons was founded on 
great faith in a supreme being. Having great confidence 
they ordered a consignment of the bread of life, armor of 
faith, boxes of eye salve. They were no more wretched, 
poor and needy, sick, in prison, naked, blind. 

"But they had a reserve fund of treasures laid up for 
an evil day. It's a law of constancy that there must 
be a storage battery and that the reserve funds must 
equal or exceed the demands. 

"1. The holy martyrs were founded on this stone 
Christ, and had a supply of reserve funds. 



105 
GIDEON'S BAND 



*'2. Ye veterans who crossed the great deep and es- 
tablished by a conquest of love, the O. B. C, overcoming 
the Babelites and Wranglingites — ye are steadfast, being 
founded on this stone. Founded on this stone your church 
still stands. Though the rains descended and the floods 
(persecution) came and beat upon that house and the 
winds (false doctrines) blew upon that house, it fell not. 

"3. Daniel is a bright example. He certainly had a 
large reserve fund of faith on hand. How immovable 
as a rock when threatened by the king. 

"4. Job is an example. He lost all his children, ten 
in number, and all his vast herds. He exclaimed: 'Naked 
came I into this world and naked shall I return. Blessed 
be the name of the Lord.' Then he was so afflicted that 
his friends didn't know him. He was steadfast, unmova- 
ble. He had a storage battery. He had that secret re- 
ferred to by Paul, which having, we possess all. 

"5. Bunyan is an example. They imprisoned his body 
but not his soul. He had a reserve fund of treasures the 
banks of England could not buy. The inconstant are like 
the five foolish virgins who took their lamps but took no 
oil. Their lamps went out. They cried for oil of the 
five wise virgins but they only had enough, for them- 
selves. Then at midnight there was a cry made: 'Behold, 
the bridegroom cometh! go ye out to meet him.' Then 
the five wise virgins went in and the doors were shut. 
In the great marriage supper when the groom shall claim 
the bride, the church, may these veterans, all this hero 
band, be as the five wise virgins." 

After a song they dismissed for dinner. 

After dinner Gideon and Ike walked over to a large 
shade tree where the elders were transacting some busi- 
ness. Gideon said: "They claim I'm the oldest man on 
the ground and Victoria the oldest woman. No doubt to 

others Victoria must look old, but to me " and he 

hummed his old refrain, "She's the same old girl." 

At two o'clock the veterans were all seated together, 
Gideon sitting in a chair with bones almost bare from age 
and shriveled skin, yet animated still by the spirit of 
comradeship. 

They all united in singing the memorial hymn of the 
veterans while shaking hands: 



106 



GIDEON'S BAND 



Pilgrims for a Purer Shrine. 

How our fathers o^er the sea 

Longed for more liberty, 

When church and state combined, 

And many were consigned 

To that mighty burning lake 

And some burned at the stake. 

From these persecutions sore, 

A brave united band 

Landed on fair Freedom's shore, 

Far from their native land. 

What for them was here in store ? 

This great Gideon band 

By the great promise were told 

They'd have one hundred fold. 

To each one hundred mothers, 

Children, sisters, brothers. 

And worship without sentinels. 

Gibbets or prison cells. 

Promises more real all 

Than the sneer or prison wall. 

Exiles for a purer shrine, 

Hero and heroine, 

Bid farewell for evermore 

And sailed the wild seas o'er. 

Though the stormy waves dashed high 

And clouds obscured the sky. 

By faith, like Noah in the ark, 

In the haven of rest 

They anchored their faithful bark. 

The weary souls were blest 

For their humble deeds of love. 

No granite points above, 

But this self-sacrificing band 

With an example so grand 

The coming ages will revere 

And praise their piety so sincere. 



FINIS 



INDEX 

Page 

Ambition 68 

Alcohol 64 

Baptism 55 

Choir " . . 94 

Creeds — Founded on What? 3 

Creeds— Their Evils 4 

Creeds — Reason for 38 

Degeneracy of Man — Cause 32 

Debaf.es 52 

Death—Fear of . 18 

Delusion — Cause 8 

Delusions — Cure 1 

Desecrations 5 

Division — By a Delusion 3 

Divisions — Four Kinds 30 

Divisions — Not Real 52 

Dissipation 32 

Degrees — in the Church ..34 

Elders — How Chosen 21 

Evil— Can It Be Increased? 103 

Evil — Not in the Church 55 

Faith— How Obtained 18 

Fashion— The God of 59 

Fashion — Invention of a Hat 33 

Heathen — How Converted 85 

Holy Ghost— Why Not Received 84 

Ism — Origin of 55 

Immersion 55 

Infideis — Delusion of 2 

Ism — Defined . 89 

Jubilee ^^1 

Liquor — Used per Capita 86 

Memory — Too Great 35 

Martyrs — Their Cause 8 

Majority — Not in Piety 35 

Offenses — in Singing 3o 

O. B. C, The— A Spirit Body 53 

0. B. C, The— Founded on What? 4 

Persecutions — Fear of 1^ 

Pre-Existence 1^ 

Religion — How KnowTi »» 

Ridicule ^f. 

Suffragitis ^!J 

Succession ^^ 

Tonguesilitis . . ^^ 

Truth ^ 

Union — Spiritual ^ 

Urim — Vision of ^'^ 

Woman in Wilderness •■ '^ 



L/BRARV OF 



CONGRESS 



" 029 S22 337 



5 



